Shikamaru: Shippuden!
by paperazzi
Summary: ShikaxIno. Back home after their harrowing escape, Shikamaru must now deal with the trauma of his torture and Ino can't leave his sight. Will this bring them together or push them apart? And what trouble is brewing on the warfront? Now on second arc.
1. Intro

_Hi all you Naruto fans out there! This is my first Naruto fanfic and I'm excited! are you excited? you should be! this is going to be an epic, so officially welcome to Shikamaru: Shippuden!_

_Disclaimer: The information presented and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions or views of Masashi Kishimoto and/or his partners... blah blah blah.

* * *

_

**Intro**

The night was deep and dark, and as still as the mountains themselves. Nothing moved, not a snow-laden branch, not a terrified mouse, and definitely not the pair of shinobi standing in a forest clearing. They had triggered a trap and they knew it and behind their animal masks, fear played tricks on their dark irises. Every shadow was an enemy, every movement signaled death.

Nothing they did could have saved them from the terror that befell them. A large man stepped quietly from the darkness, not even crunching the snow underfoot. Silent as a ghost. The ANBU readied their blades, but his strikes were fast and fatal. They could hardly widen their eyes in shock before their blood stained the snow crimson. Quickly performing a single hand seal, they each melted away in a blue flame, the jutsu protecting their village consuming every trace they ever existed.

The man sheathed his own blade, brushing fresh snowfall from his own shoulder. It was rare that he had to deal with intrusions personally, but these two had been skilled. Shimogakure had many layers of detection and they had completely bypassed all but the last level. Some of his top subordinates might have been able to handle it, but there was no use in losing lives unnecessarily.

And speaking of such subordinates…

"Korikage-sama*!" yelled one man, dropping to his knees at his leader's feet. "My greatest apologies! I could not hope to keep up with you when you moved-"

"Quiet." The Korikage hissed. "The last group was four, I only killed two."

The man leapt to his feet instantly, drawing a tanto from behind his shoulder. They stood there for upwards of a minute before the Korikage relaxed, turning away. He could not detect any others, and if they did show themselves, he would know instantly.

He motioned to his subordinate to come, walking back toward his village.

More than one hundred meters away, the remaining two shinobi turned back, each making two quick hand seals almost simultaneously and teleporting away. It was unfortunate that they had lost their comrades at the end of a successful mission, but that was what happened when you let your guard down for even an instant. The information they had retrieved however, was critical. Their lives were not lost in vain.

* * *

Nara Shikamaru

_How troublesome_, thought Nara Shikamaru as he stared listlessly into the eyes of the Godaime Hokage. Lady Tsunade had just explained his next mission and it was one he shouldn't accept for several good reasons. First, it was an S-rank mission. That was problematic because S-rank missions involved work. A lot of work. Whether it be incredible amounts of paperwork, extended periods of time spent undercover or under fire, or one really bad-ass ninja that was supposed to be killed or captured, work was work and work was something the youngest member of the Nara clan did not do.

As if that wasn't enough reason for the mission to be deemed troublesome, it was supposed to be undertaken with _her_. Yamanaka Ino. She was the last person he liked to go on missions with for a list of reasons so long he'd get tired spelling it out. The irony did not escape his notice that he'd been on nearly every mission she'd participated in since they left the academy. At least in team Ten they had Choji to keep Shikamaru's mind occupied and Ino's rambunctious personality at bay. Now Choji was out on an assignment for the Akimichi clan and _he_ was stuck with _her_. And to go on a two man mission? Together? It was madness! Who had written this mission's parameters anyway, his mother?

"I think, Shikamaru, that this would be a test for you especially. If you complete this mission successfully, I can see no reason not to award you the rank of Tokubetsu Jonin. We would normally have your father, Neji or some other Jonin take on a mission this important but it seems almost tailored to the skills of the pair of you. Do you accept?"

Deep down, Shikamaru knew that they would not send his father. As the highest ranking Jonin in Konohagakure, Shikaku was far too much of an asset to send out in such a ninja-starved environment. No, one of the Konoha 11 made much more practical sense, especially since many of them were nearing Jonin skill level themselves. And that decision, made by the Godaime more so than the elders, since none of the 11 had yet earned their trust, ensured Shikamaru's response.

He merely nodded his approval, pretending to examine his fingernail closely. Inside, he bristled at the mention of Neji taking this mission. Regardless of whether they were comrades, the Hyuga was one of the most insufferable people Shikamaru knew.

He didn't often enjoy his company, though he was quite an asset on a battlefield. The fact was, Neji seemed to take life entirely too seriously and whenever Shikamaru was around him he ended up frustrated to no end about the man's ridiculous ideas. Regardless, offering a promotion to get him off his ass was something he'd expected of the Hokage about a month ago. The fact that it took this long was a sign that Konohagakure had been experiencing a shortage of difficult missions to attend to.

Shikamaru knew this better than most. His principle job nowadays was to oversee mission planning for the more dangerous assignments the villiage recieved. His keen intellect and insight had been invaluable in raising the survivability of several recent assignments. But that was just his day job. If anyone asked him what his primary focus in life was he'd probably say cloud gazing. Not only was it infinitely amusing to watch people's startled reaction, but he appreciated a bit of humor now and then as well. After all, what's more ironic than the most intelligent man in the Fire country answering a question about the meaning of his life with an activity befitting of exhausted children?

"Shika-kun," Ino said, waving her hand in front of his face. "You spaced out. She asked you if you accept."

He replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I nodded."

Her face fell to a blank stare and she turned around quickly, facing Tsunade and crossing her arms. A slight "Hmph!" escaped her pursed lips.

"Good then," Tsunade said, ignoring their private quarrel. "If you two will excuse me, I've got a bottle of sake calling my name. The details are in the scroll." she handed Shikamaru the scroll as she stepped past him, making a beeline for the door and her escape. "Goodbye paperwork!" she sing-songed as she rounded the corner.

Shikamaru opened the scroll. He read it. He closed the scroll.

"Arent you gonna read it?" Ino asked him without turning all the way around. Apparently she was still pouting.

"I already did." he replied, turning to leave as well. "We've got a special training regimen with Kakashi Sensei in the morning to prepare. Six o'clock tomorrow. That's too early." _Kakashi-sensei? At daybreak?_ _Troublesome…_

Ino rolled her eyes. "Everything is 'troublesome' to you, Shika-kun, live a little!" she made quotation signs with her fingers as she talked.

That irked him and she likely knew it did. Not only did he intentionally say 'troublesome' only in his head, but she did the quote sign. Every time she did it, he couldn't help but feel his eyebrow twitch once in annoyance. He would have noticed that tick were the shoe on the other foot, so he therefore would assume anyone else might notice it also. It kept him from underestimating people in a rather arrogant manner.

"Do you want to read the scroll?" he asked her without making eye contact. He hated making eye contact with her.

She put her hands on her hips, annoyed, "No, I want you to read it for me as a bedtime story."

Shikamaru didn't even have to look at her to know her expression. He'd seen it too many times to count. She stood with her head slightly tilted to the left, her long blonde bangs hanging so they reached the right corner of her full lips. Her nose was crinkled ever so slightly and her left eye stared at him through its beautiful blue iris, brow furrowed angrily. One of the benefits of his photographic memory was being able to observe her beauty without ever looking at her and getting caught in it and in that respect it had served him well thus far.

He looked up just to confirm her expression and spent the next moment experiencing a rare feeling. Surprise. She did have her hands on her hips aggressively but instead of her annoyed expression, she was leaning slightly forward, a smile extending from one cheek to the other forcing her dimples prominently into his consciousness. And he contended not with one eye but with both of them, her bright blue orbs gazing into his own in a way that was far more than just disarming. It felt like he was caught in a genjutsu that no amount of pain could remove him from. He looked away and her face remained in his mind, all the other details of the room blurred around their edges because the focus was her. It was always her, and that was precisely why this mission would be a problem. He handed over the scroll.

"How troublesome," he repeated.

* * *

Yamanaka Ino

Ino stared into the unreadable face of Nara Shikamaru. It frustrated her sometimes that she couldn't hope to figure out what was going on inside his head, but like many things that seemed bothersome or insurmountable, Ino simply let it be. She was a practical woman and realized a long time ago that one was far more likely to enter a closed room by searching patiently for another entrance than bashing down a wall.

It frustrated her even more, however, that she was always the one who had to do the searching. Shikamaru was always more likely to contend that there were plenty of unlocked rooms around that were just as interesting and Choji, her third childhood teammate, was infinitely more likely to break down the wall than to waste time even searching for a door at all. But the patience paid off, especially when dealing with the young man before her.

She examined him closely as she always did, not because she liked the set of his strong jaw line, or was attracted to the way his lips would turn only slightly up or downward, never expending more energy than absolutely necessary, or even because she felt lost in his dark, hyper-intelligent gaze when he'd turn his coal-black eyes to her.

It was because she _had_ to pay that much attention to discern _anything _from him. It was like trying to read the patterns in a brick wall. Attraction to him had never been an option because there wasn't anything discernable to be attracted _to_.

Ino had known Shikamaru literally from the day she was born. His birthday had been a day before hers and their mothers, lifelong friends because of their father's generation of Ino-Shika-Cho, had been insistent that they be in adjoining rooms. So much so that Mrs. Nara had her bed rolled into Ms. Yamanaka's room immediately after Ino's birth.

Just the thought made Ino want to strangle her mom and choke some sense into her. As if the bandwagon didn't stop there, she'd been assigned to the ninja genin team with him under the late Asuma Sarutobi while Sakura got to spend her time with the Uchiha boy, Sasuke.

They had spent the last five years together as teammates and then friends, and only twice had she seen him display anything other than boredom and disinterest outside of battle. Unfortunately these moments were usually accompanied by a certain blond kunoichi from Suna.

Ino sighed, turning away from the insufferable genius. "Shika-kun, I'll see you tomorrow. If that won't be too 'troublesome' to you, I'm going to find Sakura."

As expected, she got no reply to this other than a shrug. He didn't care either way. Her company meant less to him than the clouds that he would be headed to stare at. It was a bit disheartening that her teammate would seem to care so little, but she had grown accustomed to his attitude.

Ino no longer associated his disinterest with lack of concern. She'd learned long ago that his disinterest was simply to hide his compassion and love of life in general. She was convinced that he would only show that side of him to someone truly special to him. Temari. At least she tried to convince herself of that. She couldn't help but feel a tiny twinge of sadness every time he made her feel that way. Her face crinkled into a frown at the thought and she walked off, searching for the Gondaime's apprentice.

As she headed to the hospital, she unrolled the scroll and peeked at its contents. Tsunade had already explained the details, but she liked to read them herself.

_Country: Land of Frost _

_Village: Shimogakure _

_Rank: S_

_Hired by: Fire Daimyo_

_Detail: to investigate possible connection between gang lords located in Shimogakure and Akatsuki remnants. Normal infiltration is impractical, as borders in LOF are tightly controlled and very little intel is available. Two elite Shinobi will infiltrate the village as tourists, as such no ninja tools or distinguishing items may be carried. Two self sufficient ninja who rely primarily on ninjutsu are best. Gang leader is rumored to be a mastermind who pushed Akatsuki interests for his own gain and profited greatly from the Fourth World War. Normal security is excellent. Recommendation for infiltration is seduction. Gang lord is rumored to be promiscuous. _

_Parameters for completion: Successfully Infiltrate Shimogakure. Make contact with gang leader, and ascertain Akatsuki remnant involvement, and contact information. Exfiltrate Shimogakure successfully without capture or identification. No traces to Konohagakure are allowed._

_Bonus Parameters: Capture or kill Akatsuki remnant contact. Extract valuable intelligence on Shimogakure and gang. _

_Suggested Shinobi:_

_ 1) Hyuga Neji  
2) Nara Shikamaru  
3) Yuhi Kurenai  
4) Yotsuba Rina _

_Shizune's Note: Nara Shikamaru and Yamanaka Ino have been chosen. Kakashi has agreed to a special training session at daybreak._

Ino bristled at her own perceived disrespect. She wasn't even suggested but Shikamaru was? And not only that, but when she was chosen anyway, they assumed she needed extra training? It was the most insulting mission scroll she'd ever read!

She continued her search for Sakura, crumpling the scroll in her fist. _I'll show Kakashi sensei tomorrow. I don't need extra training for this!_

It didn't take her long to find the pink haired kunoichi. She was exactly where Ino expected her to be, in the hospital attending to injured and sick shinobi. She was looking down at a clipboard when Ino spotted her, oblivious to the world around. She waved her arm around giving orders to orderlies without looking up from the data in front of her. Ino crept up behind her and placed her hands over her eyes.

"Guess who!" she called playfully.

Sakura's response was to deliver a sharp elbow to her ribs. "Not now Pig, I'm busy."

Ino's temper flared instantly. "You little bitch! I was just playing around! Now I'm gonna redecorate that giant forehead of yours!"

With that, she pounced on her, trying to drag her to the ground and get her in a chokehold. She managed to get her arm around Sakura's neck and swing her down to the ground. Sakura landed in a heap atop Ino and the blond began raining open handed slaps down on Sakura's forehead with her free hand. That ended when the pinkette drove her elbow into Ino's side once again.

"Get off!" Sakura raged and used her incredible strength to yank Ino's arm from her throat. She turned around and lifted Ino by the front of her shirt, tearing the purple fabric just a little at the seams and dropped her onto the hard wood floor.

"That was my favorite shirt pinkie!" Ino yelled, examining the damage. "I can't believe you ripped it you brute!" She stood quickly, her fist raised angrily. Sakura matched her fist for fist and glare for glare.

Sparks of white-hot electricity arced from their eyes and destroyed each other in a desperate attempt to gain an advantage on the other. Neither kunoichi noticed the orderlies and doctors staring at their confrontation with a mixture of amusement, surprise and fear.

"I was _trying _to tell you that I'll be leaving on a mission soon," Ino griped at her friend. "Before you attacked me!"

Sakura turned away from her now, arms crossed and nose high in the air, feigning indifference. "Well you should know not to bother me while I work."

Ino froze, not knowing what to say. "F-fine!" She finally sputtered out. "Then I won't!" She turned and stormed away, more than a little peeved at Sakura for acting so careless. _I'm going on an S-rank mission for crying out loud! My best friend could at least show some concern. _

"Whore!" she called over her shoulder as she stomped out in a huff.

"Pig!" Sakura shot back.

Ino bristled even more as she left the hospital, not even turning back to continue the fight. She burst out onto the main boulevard and began stomping up the street glaring menacingly at every woman or girl that passed her, as if they would relay her anger directly to Sakura. This earned her quite a few strange looks and more than one disapproving glare.

Her eyes perked up as Naruto rounded the corner ahead of her and the wheels began turning in her mind. Naruto would be a great guy to vent to. He appeared to be alone and was probably going to visit Sakura anyway. Ino could prove right now that she could steal Forehead's man right out from under her if she wanted and that made the beast inside her purr in content. It didn't hurt to get some one-on-one time with the most popular man in the village either.

"Naruto-kun!" she yelled sweetly, waving to the boy. The blonde looked up surprised. It had been quite some time since Ino had seen him. The Great Shinobi World War had been over for nearly a year and Naruto was usually the first ninja sent on missions for most of it. Most of the village were under the impression that he was actually invincible, and after successive victories over Pain, Sasuke and Madara Uchiha, he certainly lived up to the idea.

"Ino!" he yelled back, waving and smiling at his longtime friend, "I haven't seen you in forever!"

"I know Naruto-kun! We have to catch up!" she looped her arm under his elbow playfully. "You won't _believe _what Sakura just did!"

His face scrunched up in embarrassment. "Actually, i was going to visit Sakura-chan now..."

_Bingo_, Ino thought evilly. _Now to soften him up..._

Ino started walking away from the hospital, adopting a concerned expression. _"_Oh, she's terribly busy right now. Some ANBU guy came in all bloody and beat up and they needed her. You'd just get in her way."

"But-" he protested feebly, knowing that if he did interrupt her work, he'd pay dearly for it. "Sakura-chan told me specifically to come see her first thing when i got back..."

"Did she anticipate that?" Ino countered. "I'm sure she's dying to see you, but so am I, Naruto. I haven't talked to my foxie-kun in so long..." She reached up and stroked his chin enticingly as she said this, drawing a pronounced blush from him.

_Got him on the ropes! Time for the kill._

_"_Besides, Naruto, what's better than having the most beautiful kunoichi in Konoha treat you to your favorite food?"

Naruto slammed his face into his palm, berating himself for being caught by Ino's trick. The blonde kunoichi didn't notice however, her mind and mouth already on autopilot as she vented the day's frustrations to him. Naruto had caught on too late that she'd steered him directly to Ichiraku Ramen.

He resigned himself to her trickery, taking a seat and ordering. There were a lot of worse tricks in the ninja world than free ramen. "Gee, Ino, you really know how to make a guy feel special." Naruto said through his first mouthful.

"So," Ino said, ignoring him. Her target was exactly where she wanted him and she had an ear to listen. Nothing else mattered. "Earlier, Sakura completely flipped out on me when i came to tell her about my new mission! I mean its S-rank for crying out loud! She ripped the seams on my favorite shirt and now i have to go shopping when i get back! I mean, really, I'm going to want to rest!"

Naruto glanced for the first time at the tear in Ino's shirt, the fabric exposing a sliver of her cleavage. His nose began to leak red, barely missing a piece of fish that he brought to his mouth.

"Is that mackerel in your ramen? Seriously Naruto, how do you eat that? Though I suppose if it had mackerel in it Shikamaru would eat it as well, but I doubt he'd eat ramen. Speaking of Shikamaru, let me tell you what _he_ did!"

Naruto's loud groan was only partially masked by his slurping, but no amount of noise could stop Ino's rant.

When she finally had no more to say Naruto stood, looking expectantly at Ino. Ino glanced up at the man who ran the bar, hoping her plan would come together at the end like one of Shikamaru's elaborate schemes. The younger girl, Ino had no idea her name, didn't appear to be working today.

"How much do I owe?" she asked the man, Teuchi himself presumably, in her sweetest, most innocent tone.

He was confused for a brief instant. "Oh, you were treating Naruto-kun? Don't worry about it! Naruto-kun doesn't have to pay for ramen today! Congratulations on your latest mission, Naruto-kun! Keep it up! i wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you!"

Naruto smiled and began to recount his latest adventure to the man. Ino interrupted quickly to say her goodbye. then dashed off.

She neither realized nor cared that he hadn't spoken a single word the entire time. Her plan was a complete success! She got her revenge against Sakura, and thought of a successful plan in a bare instant! Treating the town hero to his favorite restaurant was the easiest thing her wallet had ever done. It no longer mattered that Shikamaru was an arrogant douche bag, or that Sakura was an unkind and ungrateful excuse for a friend, the birds were singing their last songs of a beautiful day as evening fell and she headed up the street to the Yamanaka flower shop. She had to tell her mother about her newest mission.

* * *

Nara Shikamaru

Evening fell as Shikamaru stared upward at the sparse clouds floating past him. He lay on his back on his favorite hill, near the edges of Konoha. The view over the forests and the clear sky gave him lots of time and ample reason to get lost in thought. It was…calming. When he reached into his flak vest and pulled a pack of cigarettes, however, things began to go downhill.

"What do you think you're doing?" The voice belonged to Kurenai, the former lover of Shikamaru's deceased sensei and teacher Asuma Sarutobi. He put the cigarette to his lips and produced a lighter as well. He respected and admired Kurenai Yuhi and vowed on his teacher's grave to protect her and raise her child as his own son. Kurenai was probably the least troublesome woman he'd ever met. That said, using words like 'least troublesome' and 'woman' in the same sentence was akin to mentioning the 'least dangerous Akatsuki.' And within four seconds she proved him right.

"What does it look like?" he retorted. "I'm smoking."

"Not around Hiruzen you don't!"

Already annoyed, Shikamaru clicked his tongue and put the cigarette away. He sat up however as she sat beside him, noticing the months old baby held in her arms.

"May I?" he asked politely.

The dark haired Jonin smiled, nodding as she passed her son to Shikamaru.

The Nara held him gently as if he were a priceless vase rather than a baby. Kurenai laughed quietly at his expense. Hiruzen had been born during the war almost a full year ago. Despite this, he had not had a chance to properly interact with Shikamaru until now.

The genius poked at his tiny nose gently and the baby boy grabbed at his finger, gripping it tight.

"You've got some grip there, Hiruzen. Trying to grow up big and strong and live up to your name huh?"

The boy smiled at the man holding him, perfectly innocent and without knowledge of the grim life that he was destined to live. "I'm gonna train you good someday. Wind chakra and Genjutsu. You're gonna be a tough little shinobi."

"Speaking of being a tough shinobi, Shikamaru-kun, Kakashi-san has got the works planned out for you tomorrow. You'd better be ready."

He frowned, his mind racing to catch up and dissect the information she'd presented in that simple sentence. If he didn't, he'd end up asking a stupid question and he hated stupid questions.

"Since you even know I have to train with him, I assume he told you, which means he wants you to assist him correct?"

Kurenai beamed. "Yes, Shikamaru, that's exactly right. Just pass along a message to Ino for me that there's no need to arrive early. Kakashi-san hasn't been on time for anything since he was twelve."

Shikamaru thought hard about why Kakashi would do that. The most likely answer was that he wasn't certain of his own ability to take on both him and Ino without assistance. While that was quite an ego booster, he realized that Kakashi was probably every bit as smart as he was. It could all be a trick. But why would Kurenai tell him to tell Ino? It didn't make sense.

Shikamaru frowned. "I'm relaxing right now. And anyway why can't you tell her?"

"I have a feeling Hiruzen will keep me busy," Kurenai replied with a slight chuckle.

"Huh?" Shikamaru stared at the boy intently, wondering what she meant. He looked no different than when he'd first picked him up. Hiruzen's own smile merely continued as he pulled Shikamaru's fingertip into his mouth, slobbering profusely on it before a rather loud sound emanated from the baby boy's backside. His curiosity now officially fulfilled, he passed the child back to Kurenai quickly.

"I'm done." He said, turning his head. "Sheesh. Babies. So troublesome."

Kurenai grinned as she took her child back. "Of course they are, Shikamaru, that's why women are made more capable from birth. I'm sure your mother's told you that." She walked off with a gentle wink and Shikamaru was left contemplating her last statement.

"Eh? Kurenai! What's that supposed to mean?"

She didn't answer him, however and he flopped back onto the grass. He knew how he would spend the rest of his day. He would take a nice long nap. Yes, that was it. A good nap would be excellent.

* * *

* Korikage: (lit) ice shadow

Blooper no Jutsu!

Naruto scarfed down his sixteenth bowl and wiped his mouth on his sleeve contentedly.

"Thanks for paying for my dinner, Ino! You're completely awesome!"

He bolted from the resteraunt before she could protest.

"Naruto!" she yelled after him. "I wasn't really going to pay!"

_Author's Note: And that's the intro folks! i'll have the official chapter one up as soon as possible featuring another of my favorites, KAKASHI! Please please please let me know what you think and i'll reward you...uhh...with cookies!_


	2. The First Morning

**Chapter 2**

** The First Morning**

Shikamaru awoke pondering the meaning of the word troublesome. He'd never considered quite what the word meant to others, or how they felt when he used it, just how it related to his everyday life. _Odd dream_, he decided, and paid it no more mind.

It was the middle of the night and the full moon shone dimly on his dew covered hill through a thick layer of clouds. The air was wet and heavy and tired, as if the night itself was still sleeping. It really was an ungodly hour to be awake.

His dark eyes scanned the sky, picking out the patterns in the dark clouds overhead looking for signs of inclement weather but fortunately there were none. He yawned loudly and sat up, pushing the purple blanket that covered him off of his chest. He frowned, instantly wondering who had brought a blanket out to him and reasoned that it must have been Kurenai since she had left him napping earlier and it smelled strongly of flowers.

It wasn't the first time he had fallen asleep on this hill, however, he usually didn't do so after dark. Getting up and stretching, he made his way back to the Nara residence at a leisurely pace, thinking to himself how nice it would be to live on his own. His mother would definitely ask why he had missed dinner if he couldn't avoid her. But then he'd have to clean and cook and pay bills all the time. Well, maybe he could forego cleaning every once in a while.

_Nah. Staying at home is easier for now, even with mom's nagging._

The young man slid the shoji open silently, peeling off his sandals at the entrance and creeping soundlessly into his room. He was a ninja after all. If he couldn't sneak in without waking his parents he didn't deserve the title.

He looked around the neat, but spartan room and settled his eyes on the shogi board in the corner, deciding it was better to prepare for whatever training Kakashi had waiting than to get a few more meaningless hours of sleep. Within seconds, Shikamaru's mind ramped into overdrive, thinking of everything he knew about the Copy Ninja. The next day would be tough indeed.

* * *

...

Ino woke up quite literally at the first ray of dawn. Of course, it helped that her bedroom window faced east and it was the top floor apartment in one of the highest eastern buildings in Konoha. The rays of sun hit her before anyone else in the village and she'd begged and cajoled the apartment owner to allow her that privilege for a reasonable price.

Yawning and stretching luxuriously, Ino realized how cold she was and resigned herself to purchasing a spare blanket. It would cut into her shopping money, but so what? This next mission was going to pay off big time.

She rolled out of her bed and looked around her room, deciding which closet she would pick from to dress today. Dirty clothes lay strewn about the floor and clean ones were hanging from the back of her chair unfolded. Her walls were decorated to the last inch with posters of her favorite bands and cute guys from around the world. Four kunai stuck out of a target on the wall directly opposite of her bed. She used that when she was bored or frustrated, noting it was better to throw kunai than to eat.

She meandered into her bathroom and took a quick shower before toweling off and wrapping the soft purple cloth around herself. She stepped out of her room into the living area, relieved that she didn't have to deal with the nuisance of living with her parents anymore and could make breakfast before getting dressed.

_It would be hell to live under their roof. To think that I had to wake up and deal with somebody other than myself in the mornings…_

She walked through her living room to her kitchen, greeting Shikamaru cordially as she passed him on her couch.

"_Ohayo_, Ino," he replied as she froze in her tracks.

Ino felt a single drop of water drip from her long hair down the crease of her back and disappear under the towel. She turned to face her teammate. Willing her body to hide the confusion and shock and anger she felt roiling up her stomach.

"What are you doing here?" she asked nonchalantly.

"I came over to tell you-"

"I don't CARE what you think you're doing, Shikamaru!" she screamed, seizing a nearby umbrella and whacking him repeatedly with it.

_Well, so much for self control_.

"Don't you just come in my house and sit there like you own the place! This is Ino's territory!"

Shikamaru merely turned his eyes toward her, not even bothering to cringe away from the umbrella assault.

"Calm down. Your door was unlocked when I arrived here. I didn't want to leave it unlocked and you always wake up when the sun reaches you, so I figured it'd be better to wait. Besides, why did you just refer to yourself in the third person?"

Ino frowned, putting one finger on her chin and ignored his question purposefully. "That's odd, I'm sure I locked it when I got back…although it was pretty late." The confused look was replaced quickly by another angry one and she whacked Shikamaru again. "But you still didn't knock!"

Shikamaru quirked an insolent eyebrow. "Never mind. This is more trouble than its worth. You were sleeping so peacefully I didn't want to wake you and I couldn't lock your door from the outside-"

Ino's anger quickly transformed to utter mortification. Her inner self arrived at the same conclusion she did. Of course it did. It _was_ her.

___Ahh! _He saw me while I was sleeping? 

_**What if I was snoring! **_

_Or worse slobbering! _

_**How did my hair look? **_

_Oh no, I still haven't done my hair! _

_**Well, at least its still wet so its straight. That's not so bad. **_

_Why do I care what Shikamaru thinks? So what if he saw me sleeping?_

_**You know why…**_

_Wait, why the hell is he here anyway?_

"Ino?" Shikamaru asked, looking at her with his inhumanly emotionless stare.

"Wait, why the hell are you here anyway?" She couldn't keep the redness out of her cheeks as she tried desperately to erase her last few thoughts from memory.

"I tried to tell you, but you attacked me," he pointed out.

His face crinkled to betray an emotion and she tried her absolute hardest not to stare as she searched for any discernable clue or giveaway as to what it was. His hand moved upwards slowly, eyes squinting…if she was right he was about to...

Shikamaru yawned loudly.

Boredom. As usual. Why would he be interested? It was 'just Ino.'

"I came to pass a message along to you from Kurenai-sensei. Kakashi won't be on time for training so we have a few extra hours to relax and prepare."

"I knew that!" she said, trying to recover the shreds of her dignity that were scattered about the small apartment. "Stay here while I change."

He glanced at her briefly and immediately stretched out on the couch, making a beeline for the nearest shuteye he could foresee.

_Geez, Shikamaru and his napping. He'd sleep through an invasion if they caught him on his hill…_

Slipping into her room and changing into her normal kunoichi clothing, she came out and sat in front of the ninja before her. If he could even be called that. When Ino thought of a true ninja she thought of someone very un-Shikamaru-like.

Noble, brave, self sacrificing and duty-bound. Someone who would work day and night to complete a mission that was the essence of importance an utterly critical to the survival of his or her clan/village. Blah blah blah, it was all boring stuff, and Ino never lived up to a goody two shoes moniker. She'd also long since lost her 'innocent little girl' reputation. She'd been taking lives since she was fourteen and even before then she'd already done some wild and crazy things in youthful hubris. But that was _ages_ ago!

It was a reputation that Asuma-sensei had never pushed her to cultivate. Asuma was always the type to give the establishment the finger and do what the hell he wanted anyway. He had always been supportive of whatever his students believed of themselves and neither Ino nor Shikamaru found themselves attracted to the typical-nin dossier. A confident smirk found its way to her lips as she examined the spiky haired boy on the couch.

_Even Shika-kun has some good qualities. _

Waltzing back to the kitchen, she quickly cooked herself a simple, yet efficient breakfast of scrambled egg whites, a granola bar and a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice before sitting back down to eat.

"You know ninja metabolize food a bazillion times faster than normal people so you don't have to eat like you're elderly."

Ino blushed heartily, "Shikamaru, you know I'm serious about taking care of my body better than anybody! Don't give me that crap!"

"It doesn't make sense that you do. If you were more serious you'd realize you have the body of a model or dancer, not a kunoichi. You should really shape your body more practically."

"Who asked you anyway?" she started, heat rising to her ears at his criticism. "Its my food and my body!"

Shikamaru shrugged and Ino looked up at him to realize he hadn't even bothered to open his eyes. Did he think he could just _assume_ that his nose and ears were good enough to identify Ino's not-quite-smart-enough-for-Shikamaru breakfast menu?

_And here I was thinking something nice about you just a few seconds ago!_

"Fine then. Make sure you stop to get something better on your way to training," she replied acidly, making it abundantly clear that her own food was completely off-limits to him. Apparently it was for the elderly.

He didn't move a muscle. If her retaliation had any effect on him Ino would never know. And it was _infuriating_!

The next few minutes passed in utter silence. Shikamaru didn't snore, and he appeared by all means to be asleep. Finally, when she figured she'd dallied long enough, (which she assumed to mean Kakashi had assumed that he'd dallied long enough) she stood and debated waking Shikamaru. She could leave him to his nap and let him be late to the training session but from what she knew of Kakashi-sensei, it might be a bad idea. She heard stories about the Copy nin from his own students mouths and they were loathe to put the slightest personal ideal ahead of their teamwork. Even Sai, who previously was in ANBU's solitary Root division, clung to teamwork as if for dear life.

Better to wake him and suffer her own indignation than Kakashi's wrath. She reached out to shake him but to her dismay and utter disgust, he merely sat up before her hand reached him, snapping his eyes open as if he'd never slept. His yawn gave him away, however and he stood, stretching slightly.

"Time to go I take it."

It was a statement not a question, and Ino wouldn't have had a coherent response if it had been. Her level of frustration was at an all time high. She'd had the kindness and decency to call his mother and seek him out when he hadn't returned from his nap and walk _all _the way back to her apartment just to walk _all_ the way back to his hill to put one freaking blanket on him and whisper goodnight to her sleeping teammate.

It was a blanket that she would be forgoing in fact, during an abnormally cold summer night only for him to break into her house at five something AM, sit on the couch lazily like he owned the place and not let her freaking wake him up to leave?

_Dammit Shikamaru!_

Her inner screamed at her to take his head off with a well timed swing of her tanto and she suppressed the urge, opting for self control over revenge. Besides, losing her cool like that was something billboard brow did, and Ino was a just a smidge above her. Well, she was in her own estimation anyway. So instead, she walked out of her door, making extra sure to lock it behind her this time after Shikamaru wordlessly followed.

* * *

...

As Ino led him toward the elevator he thought back to the moment earlier when she'd displayed confusion over his statement that the door was unlocked. Actually, he'd been thinking about this and its potential meanings since she ate her diet breakfast. It didn't make sense.

It all tied back to the fact that he received a mysterious blanket in the middle of the night on that hill. When he'd taken the cover back to Kurenai a few hours ago, thinking the flower designs must have undoubtedly meant it was her own, since she'd taken a huge shine to anything flowery since Asuma's death, and she had met him with confusion. She took the cover, but presumably hadn't brought it to him overnight.

This meant one of two things. One, someone else who liked both flowers and him brought the cover out to him, knowing he was there, (which he deemed highly unlikely since his mother had ingrained into him that no women would ever like him until he got off his lazy ass, and for the most part this had held true).

Or two, that Ino, given her exposure to flowers in her parent's business, both owned flowery furnishings and knew more about him than she really let on (which he deemed much more likely due to the fact that it did not necessarily contradict his mother, which he knew to be a very bad idea).

It took six steps for him to decide that the second conclusion was infinitely more likely and he stepped onto the elevator beside Ino. What confused him further about the situation was twofold. Firstly, why would Ino, of all people, know more about him than anyone else? Surely she was his teammate and a fairly close friend, but he'd never shared much with her. It was impossible. He couldn't look at her for more than a few seconds without freezing up completely.

That meant she had to learn through careful examination of his patterns and habits. And everyone knew that she only carefully examined men she was interested in. When she studied a guy, she sure studied hard though. He'd even found her body in the middle of mind transfer jutsu that she'd used to gain information on other men before. It made no sense that she'd even consider examining him, because that would mean that she was interested in him (for whatever reason) which would mean his mother was wrong (even a tiny bit) and Kami forbid his mother ever find out he thought that she was wrong, even for a second

. He gave the tiniest shudder as the doors of the elevator swung shut of their own accord. He noticed her eyes on him in the reflection of the burnished steel doors and tried to keep his face its normal unreadable mask and he almost succeeded. Why was she staring at him anyway? Was she possibly examining him again or did she want something?

_Let's see, we left her apartment, she definitely locked it this time, got in the elevator and now the doors are closed but, that's right neither of us hit the button. Does she expect me to? She's so much closer! And my hands are in my pockets. She doesn't even have pockets!_

He glanced briefly at her, then looked away quickly, before his eyes could get stuck again.

* * *

...

They got in the elevator and Shikamaru stood absent-mindedly as the doors closed, neither of them having pressed the button for the ground floor. She looked in his eyes, as if willing him to press the button, but he didn't. His expression was blank, as always, as if he couldn't be bothered with something so trivial. Most other boys leapt to do things for her, as if those trivial courtesies would distinguish them from the pack of other suitors that she kept in constant rotation.

But, no, not Shikamaru. The one man on the planet who she'd actually appreciate such a gesture from, since it was so contrary to his nature. Oddly, it was him that stood out from the rest of the men she spent her time with, not because he tried to, but because of his complete apathy toward anything that had to do with her at all.

He glanced at her briefly as if expecting her to do it for him before resuming his blank stare. She pressed the button, grunting in frustration, and the elevator began to descend.

* * *

...

Ino pressed the button with a grunt and the elevator lurched as the pulleys raised the counterbalance and the passenger compartment lost altitude relative to the planet's surface.

_I wonder if Konoha is below sea level?_ A part of Shikamaru's mind wandered absently. He filed the question away as one requiring future research and resumed his mental investigation. He'd already come to the conclusion that Ino herself had brought him the blanket (which Kurenai had now appropriated) and was about to resume his train of thought when he again noticed Ino glaring daggers at his reflection. In fact, if his reflection had been a shadow clone, he was quite certain it would have disappeared in a puff of acrid smoke. Her anger seemed quite real and quite lethal.

_Troublesome. Since lack of courtesy in pressing the stupid elevator button got me into it, I suppose courtesy in opening the outside door would at least alleviate it, if not make up for it entirely, since she'd be seen with me opening the door for her which would stroke her ego. I should definitely open the door for her. But its so far. And I'll have to hold it while she pauses, she's definitely going to pause…ah well. It can't be helped. Wait, I should also thank her for pressing the button before its too late._

* * *

Yamanaka Ino

In the glossy door's reflection she saw his eyes glance briefly her way once more.

"Arigatou," He said quickly. That was the only sound in the elevator besides the steady hum of the carriage itself as it brought them down to ground level. His short tone and averted gaze gave her no conviction that his thanks was sincere and he offered no explanation as to _why_ he was usually so discourteous so Ino dismissed the one word he actually figured it was worth moving his mouth to express to her.

He was really pushing her today. _**You just expect me to cook breakfast for you and press buttons for you? And cover you up at night? You can't be bothered with tasks so mundane, huh? That stuff is beneath you?**_

Her inner roared in frustration inside her head, yelling obscenities at the spiky haired man who merely walked past her and opened the door leading out to Konoha's streets. He looked very briefly at her, really no more than his eyes flicking past hers and continuing on, and held the door open, waiting rather stiffly for her to pass. He glanced around, inadvertently drawing her eyes to the few people around the entrance who would see him opening a door politely for her. Oddly enough, this recognition immediately silenced her inner, and she walked languidly through the portal, pausing in the doorway as if her were her own personal doorman and she was used to such treatment.

She wasn't of course. Most men saw her as either a kunoichi who wasn't to be trifled with at all or a man eater who deserved only as much formal respect as it took to get her into their beds. Not that she took herself that lightly, but reputations were reputations and that couldn't be helped. Consequently, she felt well pleased that the normally chauvinistic Nara was holding doors for her like a gallant knight.

She was well pleased with it, but that didn't mean she trusted it. He followed her out of the door and they angled for Konoha's training fields and her mind raced, attempting futilely to catch up to his own conniving brain. If she knew anything about Shikamaru at all, it was that he didn't do anything without a purpose. Even after Asuma died and he began working much harder, he was still far too lazy. His earlier remark about her figure was no exception and while it stung, his opinion didn't mean enough to her to change her appearance one iota. So now what was he up to? He wouldn't talk one bit and it was So. Damn. Frustrating!

* * *

...

They arrived at the training field not a moment too soon in Shikamaru's opinion. Ino looked about to blow, with her hips and shoulders set quite aggressively. He could swear he heard her grinding her teeth a few minutes before. And the staring. She had been staring at him as if there were no tomorrow.

_You'd think she knows what my face looks like by now_.

They stepped through the fenced entrance and, thankfully, Kurenai was there waiting when they arrived, though Kakashi had yet to show his…well…his mask. The sun was high in the sky and Shikamaru scoffed at his tardiness.

"_Ohayo, _Kurenai-sensei," Ino yelled, rushing over and waving happily. The blonde kunoichi had always looked up to Kurenai as one of the few female shinobi to reach the full fledged Jonin rank, and training sessions with her were always more than welcome in Ino's eyes.

Shikamaru approached with a bit more reservation. "_Ohayo_," he echoed, standing just a smidge behind, eyes alert around the training field. "Where's Hiruzen-chan?"

"With his grandmother," she said simply, keeping her eyes on Shikamaru. She didn't glance around, take in her surroundings. Her posture was relaxed, but she had an expectant look. That meant…

"Kakashi-sensei!" Shikamaru called out, "I know you're here."

The white haired ninja stepped out of a nearby bush, the latest Icha Icha novel held in his hand. The series had been continued by another intrepid novelist after Jiraiya's death and apparently, from Kakashi's tardiness as of late, it was no worse than the original (or no better depending on how you looked at it). He wore his normal jonin attire, with his mask covering the left side of his face, as usual, but hanging from his waist now were a pair of small silver bells.

"Eh, Shikamaru, what gave me away?"

He shrugged. "I had a feeling. Kurenai-sensei was acting oddly."

"Well, you all are about an hour late," Kakashi said.

"Three," Kurenai corrected.

"Three hours late. What are your excuses?"

Ino stuttered, failing to come up with a good enough lie so quickly. Judging by Kakashi's reaction, he hadn't shown up long before they did. What reason was there to lie? Shikamaru hoped she wouldn't compound their situation. _Just be honest, Ino_.

"We figured," the chunin began, "That since you're never on time, why should we get ourselves up so early? We took the extra time to prepare."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. "That's fair. I don't think any of my own students ever figured that one out… ah well. It can't be helped. Your training."

Shikamaru listened intently. He had been wondering long and hard about what type of training would be administered. He had already undergone most of the Jonin training and Ino was probably not mentally ready for such intensive work, and besides, to think a single morning would make a significant difference was foolish.

"I have but a single technique to teach you, Shikamaru and Kurenai has a single technique to teach Ino. They aren't hard to grasp, but they'll take time to master, so you should practice on your own. After you've both shown you understand the basics, I will administer a small test and then pass on some Intel that came in last night."

Shikamaru nodded slowly. Beside him, Ino quickly replied in the affirmative.

Turning to Kurenai, the older woman led her away, leaving the two men alone.

Kakashi took the chance to smile broadly at the young man, though the only visible sign was his exposed eye squinting shut. "Its been a while since we got to talk, Shikamaru-kun. How are you doing?"

Shikamaru blinked. "Eh."

Kakashi's disappointment was palpable and a single large bead of sweat drooped down his cheek. "That's all? What a depressing kid…"

Ignoring the fact that Kakashi clearly hadn't meant to speak aloud, Shikamaru stepped forward. "What's this technique? We're here to train right?"

"Right! And what I'll be teaching you will be critical in hiding your presence when snooping about for a few reasons, which I'll explain later. First, however, the technique is called Mesaigakure no jutsu.* Its quite useful when spying, but the technique is incomplete. Unless the user stays completely still, its quite easy to detect them, and sensor types like Hyuugas can detect you easily as well."

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes suspiciously, waiting for an explanation rather than asking an obvious question.

Kakashi smiled at this. "Well, since you won't ask, this technique uses light and dark manipulation, which you are already proficient at, Shikamaru, and I figured that it would be easy for you to complete the technique, making it a bit more useful."

The genius nodded slowly, thinking about Naruto's Rasengan and its completed version. It had taken genius-level inspiration and talent to add nature chakra to the Rasengan at all, and the resulting jutsu was catastrophically powerful. Shikamaru's specialty was light and dark manipulation, however, which lay completely outside of nature manipulation entirely. He'd already been experimenting with a technique of his own making, however, it was probably best to go along with any new light or dark techniques to give him any possible insight for his own jutsu.

Kakashi led him through the hand seals and as soon as they finished, turned completely invisible. It was incredibly creepy for him to simply disappear like that, and Shikamaru actually took an involuntary step back.

"Come, now Shikamaru, is this really the first time you've seen this technique?" the Copy nin's disembodied voice called out. His voice had dropped a register and had a slightly creepy air to it. The hair on Shikamaru's neck stood up and he felt a chill run down his spine.

"Enough, I get it," Shikamaru said, letting a tiny smile slip through his guard. "My turn."

He worked through the hand seals slowly, getting used to the combination and poured his chakra into the jutsu, bending the light away from him. Then he realized something. There was no way to tell if he had completed the jutsu successfully.

"Uh…Kakashi-sensei?"

"Oh!" Kakashi said, still using his creepy voice. "Well, it looks as if you understand the basics but you need practice on getting your entire body invisible. Follow me to the river. You can see your reflection in the water."

Footsteps could be heard leading away from him.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "You're invisible."

"Oh!" said creepy Kakashi. "Right."

* * *

...

Ino stood in front of Kurenai, seeing the jonin in full battle attire for the first time in nearly a year. Kurenai had already explained the genjutsu she was to learn to the blonde and it was a simple technique, but a difficult one to execute. One Kurenai had developed herself, it essentially allowed the person it was cast on to see what their mind wanted to for the near future. When Kurenai had demonstrated it on Ino, the results were more than a bit shocking. Instead of seeing anything battle related, or some deep seated desire of her heart, she simply looked at Shikamaru and he…

"Focus!" Kurenai yelled. "I can sense your mind wandering. There's no way to succeed without complete focus."

"_Hai_!" she acknowledged, concentrating on creating an illusory world for Kurenai's mind to fill up. She finally finished and directed her chakra at Kurenai, pushing her mind into the genjutsu as soon as she made eye contact. She saw kurenai flinch as she was hit with the technique, and Ino quickly released it.

The Jonin shook her head, blinking dazedly. "Not bad for someone who trained under the Godaime for three years. Compared to me, Tsunade couldn't genjutsu herself out of a wet paper bag. No one on my team really took well to genjutsu, so its been a while since I was able to teach."

Ino beamed at the compliment, looking behind her to see if Shikamaru heard it, only to see that Kakashi was gone entirely and Shikamaru was now walking toward her as nothing but a floating head.

"AAAH!"

"Ino, ouch! What are you…"

The blonde kunoichi had leapt up into Kurenai's arms like a scared child, pointing at Shikamaru's disembodied head. "He's decapitated!"

Shikamaru sighed heavily, releasing the jutsu. "Apparently, that's what Kakashi-sensei meant when he said 'my entire body.'" Then wheels began turning in his head and he rounded on Kakashi, who had just released his own jutsu. "Hey, you knew this would scare her didn't you?"

Kakashi just smiled guiltily.

Ino was not amused. She stomped over to Kakashi ready to give him a piece of her mind. Kakashi held up his hands in surrender. "I already know what you're going to say," he said, taking out his book once more.

She blinked, taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor.

"You do?"

"Of course. I understand. You're upset that I would play with your fragile emotions like that. Shikamaru is important to you. So because he's important you'll allow him to finish this technique, correct?"

"But that's not what…"

"Excellent! Come, Shikamaru, you have to keep practicing." And just like that, he walked off, licking the tip of his finger and turning to the next page.

Ino blinked as Shikamaru merely shrugged and walked past her.

"Hey! You can't just walk away!"

Kakashi ignored her, seemingly too lost in his own book and Kurenai took her gently by the arm. "Come, Ino. Your first attempt was good, but you still have a long way to go and you need to create the illusion much faster. Here's a tip, the most effective genjutsu are the ones in which your opponent doesn't know he's trapped. The world around you should be your template. I know there's a lot of detail, but with practice, you'll get the hang of it."

Ino forced her mind off of the brief distraction and got back to work. She had to prove that she deserved this mission. Prove she was as good as Shikamaru. She formed the hand seals and pulled Kurenai into a false world once more. But there was a question burning in her mind that she couldn't shake, no matter how much she focused on her chakra. _Who am I proving this to, and why?_

* * *

...

The sun was getting low in the sky and Shikamaru stood on the still water, panting heavily. He'd been trying this jutsu all day and still couldn't quite cover the top of his hair. A line of sweat rolled off the tip of his nose and he dropped to one knee, pushing chakra to it so it wouldn't fall through the stream. Kakashi stood a few feet away from him, reading his book while walking on water as if nothing were happening.

"Keep your focus throughout the jutsu, Shikamaru. You're used to dark manipulation and as such, you can multitask while using your shadows, but light manipulation requires a lot more finesse. Give it one more try and we'll take a break."

Shikamaru considered his words, standing up once again. _Light requires more finesse, huh? Maybe that's what's wrong with my jutsu…less brute force and more finesse…_

He performed the seals again much more quickly than before and felt the chakra pushing the light away from his body once more. He did it slowly this time, watching his reflection melt away, starting with his feet. At his shoulders, the jutsu slowed down even more, not because he wanted it to, but because he'd disappeared enough to see Ino standing not five feet behind him, watching him. Kurenai was beside her, both done with their training, he presumed.

_As if this wasn't hard enough, now I have to do it with Ino right there?_

He pulled the illusion as high as it would go, but the world seemed to blur around the edges of Ino's reflection. Yet again, his ponytail stuck out like a sore thumb.

"That was better," Kakashi said, though it was clearly the same as the last dozen times he'd tried it. "It is an A-rank technique, so I didn't expect you to get it on the first day."

Despite the logic in that statement, Shikamaru didn't necessarily agree. It wasn't the technique's difficulty that frustrated him, it was the fact that he was so close and Ino was the distraction!

He cursed loudly, venting his anger on the diminuitive ninja. "You told me to bend the light around me and let it keep going naturally after that, so when I do, it won't bend over my hair, just my skull. My hair doesn't have chakra to bend it!"

Kakashi pointed at his own gravity defying mop without looking up from the page. "I got this to disappear didn't I? You just have to project the illusion a little farther."

Shikamaru tried. He really did. Nothing happened.

"It's no use." He conceded. "I can only push the illusion across objects with my chakra."

"That shouldn't be true," Kakashi said, turning another page. "Take out your trench knife."

Shikamaru pulled the knife out with care, making sure not to let Kurenai see one of Asuma's old belongings. He had the presence of mind to know that might affect her emotionally in a way she was unprepared for. He pushed a tiny bit of his own chakra across it and it disappeared completely.

"Now pull out your tanto."

Shikamaru blinked. "I can't put my chakra into that, Kakashi-sensei."

The white haired ninja didn't respond, conveying his point much easier than an argument would have. It wasn't a question.

The disgruntled chunin drew the blade and it seemed to float in midair, completely visible from the hilt up.

Kakashi finally looked up, intrigued at last. "You seem to be doing something wrong," he concluded.

Casting the jutsu himself, he took out a standard kunai. The hilt and ring were hidden for the part that was in Kakashi's hand, but Shikamaru's hand had in essence, become clear.

"What?" Shikamaru asked, noting that everyone seemed to be wondering the same thing.

"That's almost the same jutsu I'm using, but you seem to understand light and dark manipulation on a level my Sharingan can't. Your illusion is much more complete as a result. You yourself have become invisible, bending the light around each and every one of your cells. That may be why you can't push the illusion out, since I'm only creating a small field around myself."

"That's great, except for the fact that my hair sticks out," he grumbled.

Surprisingly, Ino stepped tentatively onto the water, walking up behind Shikamaru her hands reaching up the back of his head. "You know," she whispered gently into his ear, "For a genius, you're pretty dumb."

When she stepped away, he was completely invisible. Not a single hair stuck out of the illusion, and he was incredibly glad for that because there was no other way to hide his surprised expression or the burning feeling of a heavy blush.

Kakashi whistled, impressed.

_What did you do? _Shikamaru wondered, looking at Ino quizzically. He released the technique and looked at his reflection, only to feel as just dumb as Ino said he was.

Kurenai and Kakashi laughed out loud when they noticed it too. The woman pulled Shikamaru back to dry land and poked him gently on his cheek. "When hair is the problem, Shikamaru, men never think to simply change their hairstyles." She glanced at Kakashi pointedly. "That's why women are made more capable from birth. Or something like that."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, rub it in."

"Oh, I will," Ino replied, a devious gleam in her eye.

Shikamaru turned away mumbling something about 'troublesome women' messing with his hair.

_Damn Ino, you won't make this easy will you?_

* * *

...

_**I thought of something he didn't! I thought of something he didn't!**_

Her inner was dancing in joy at the thought of showing up Shikamaru in the brains department. Of course, she had a natural advantage when it came to hair problems, but there was something different this time. Something was simply better about this particular instance.

She couldn't quite place why helping him with his jutsu made feel so warm inside, couldn't explain to herself why she felt a spurt of shyness as his hand touched hers when he took his hairband back to reform the pineapple on his head. Like many things that seemed uncontrollable or beyond her comprehension at the moment, Ino simply let it be. Besides, she didn't particularly dislike the feeling…

"That's good," Kakashi said, stepping onto the riverbank. "Both of you seem to be adequate at the jutsu and it's too late now for the sparring session i had planned. Both of you are supposed to leave at dusk, so we'll simply give you the intel we received."

Ino turned back to face him, listening intently. She may have been focused on boys and relationships more often than not, but she knew when to get serious.

Kakashi regarded both of their stoic expressions and pulled out a piece of paper. "According to an ANBU unit that returned this morning, the village itself is protected by three layers of jutsu that are changed every four days. The final layer seems to be a chakra-sensing snow. Basically, wherever you walk on it, the sensor-nin will know where you stepped. Also, there seems to be a very powerful ninja there who commands their forces who is not in our bingo book. He eliminated two ANBU in the blink of an eye. It is unknown whether he is simply protecting the village or related to the Akatsuki network there. Tsunade wants you to find out if possible. Any information on him you can gather will be welcome as well."

He turned to Shikamaru. "You will be the commander of the mission, Shikamaru. Ino, your principal jobs are infiltration and the relay of information to Inoichi here. This is why you were selected, since we have no other secure way to make contact with your team once in frost country."

Ino nodded, feeling a surge of pride. She was chosen to do a job no one else could! The smile on her face was a dead giveaway though, and Kurenai's palm smacked into her forehead.

_**I don't care if they know! Its nice to get some recognition once in a while! **_

_You're not getting recognized for anything, I do all the work!_

"Anyway, when you have something to report, do it as soon as possible and whenever you can. Inoichi will be on standby here."

He handed them a pair of passports containing the details of their forged identities. Apparently they were to be ex-Amegakure genin who fled when Pain was killed. Both of them had fake names as well. Neither she nor Shikamaru were ninja of great renown, but their clans were rather famous, if not for their ninjutsu then for the mafia-like connection they possessed. Some people in the village referred to the Ino-shika-cho link as the Konoha Triad. Ino simply found it amusing, but some others, including children at the academy, now thought it was an actual gang affiliation.

Kakashi brought her back to reality, however, when he handed her a duffel to go along with her passports. "Here are your clothes and supplies for the journey. Make sure you leave anything that could expose your involvement with our village and good luck."

"Arigato, Kakashi-sensei!" Ino bowed deeply, taking the surprisingly heavy bag.

Shikamaru took one look at the duffel and turned around, making her forget her previous feelings toward him instantly.

"Shikamaru! You lazy bastard! Are you really going to make the lady carry the bag?"

"You're a ninja. You're perfectly capable of carrying it. Besides, he gave it to you."

"Fine!" Ino said slinging it over her shoulder and walking back toward the village. "This will only prove how much stronger than you I am."

Shikamaru shrugged, not falling for her mind games and fell into step.

When they arrived back at Ino's apartment, Shikamaru flopped onto the couch, letting his eyes flutter closed.

Ino rolled her eyes and trudged into her room, flopping heavily on her bed and rolling into her purple sheets. She had almost forgotten how comfortable it was since morning.

"Goodbye bed." She said wistfully, wishing she wouldn't have to part with it. Peeking into her desk drawer, she sighed heavily.

"Goodbye makeup." Finally, she moved over to her walk in closet, filled from wall to wall with outfits of every shape and color imaginable.

"Goodbye fashion."

"You're too dramatic," Shikamaru said from the other room. "We're not gonna be gone that long. It's a simple recon mission. I don't wanna fight that ANBU killer guy or the Akatsuki informant if we don't have to."

If he knew the anger that rose in her gut at his interruption, he didn't show it, and Ino clenched her fist tight. Opting to shower and put on the Ame clothing instead of beating the daylights out of him, she opened the bag and stared dumbfounded at the contents.

"Oh hell…"

* * *

Blooper no Jutsu!

The sun was getting low in the sky and Shikamaru stood on the still water, panting heavily. He'd been trying this jutsu all day and still couldn't quite cover the top of his hair. A line of sweat rolled off the tip of his nose and he dropped to one knee…and a loud splash sounded as he landed face-first in the water, his feet still up above the surface.

Kakashi stuck his face under and spoke through the water. "_You might not want to put your weight on your knee when you do that, genius._"

A single finger broke the surface to signal Shikamaru's reply.

_AN: If you have any ideas for bloopers or omakes, please PM them to me! i cant always think of them after each chapter, so i'd appreciate some help now and again!_


	3. Red Carpet Treatment

**Chapter 3**

** Red Carpet Treatment**

"We understand that you have sent two Chunin on a mission deep undercover with no backup or support, Hokage-sama. This decision is as foolish as ever. Undercover missions require a Jonin commander! If a simple mistake escalates into war, it will be solely on your head! We have allies of the five great nations now, but Shimogakure has a defense treaty with the Cloud!"

"And if the Cloud fights us the Earth does as well! Do not ignore these connections!"

The Godaime Hokage couldn't believe she had to deal with this. Even after Danzo Shimura's death, the elders were still on her back about every little thing. Apparently the overzealous Root commander was only an instigator to the real problem. And the real problem happened to be about a combined one hundred and fifty years old and as cranky and senile as that age sounded like it would make you.

"Excuse me for not picking someone because they have the title Jonin before their name. I was under the impression that shinobi were selected because of their skill and experience." Her voice was as frosty as the namesake of the country in question. "The two chunin I sent are quite responsible and mature. I'm quite sure that Nara Shikamaru, may I remind you, the most intelligent man in fire country, understands these things and will not make 'simple mistakes.' That is precisely why I chose him."

Homura set his jaw angrily, not happy with her cheek. "And the second of your precious chunin?"

"Is my own apprentice!" Tsunade slammed her hand on the table. "And the only Konoha kunoichi capable of infiltrating Shimo and the gang's base and sending back status reports telepathically! I chose them because this mission plays perfectly to their strengths, and that will be all of your questioning my decisions today!"

She stood and stormed out of the room, brushing past Shizune as she was returning with a tray of tea and biscuits. Tsunade turned quickly pilfered a biscuit before resuming her warpath.

Her slender assistant merely looked confused, bowing apologetically to the elders before quickly pursuing Tsunade.

"Tsunade-sama!" she called out. "Wait!"

The last remaining sannin stopped suddenly, turning to the woman. "Yes, Shizune?"

"Inoichi-san reports that they are approaching the Frost border as we speak."

Tsunade absorbed this information as she fumed silently in the hallway and let her anger dissipate. The stupid elders would find out exactly what those two were made of. They had both served admirably in the fourth world war. They were _so_ mature!

* * *

...

"And they stink too!"

"Ino, you've been complaining about these clothes since you opened the duffel."

"Not clothes, Shika-kun, rags! How am I supposed to look good in _rags_?" She lifted a tattered brown sleeve in example. "Look at this! Its ripped to shreds!"

Shikamaru ignored her, hoping for the millionth time she would shut up about the clothes. As soon as he stopped talking, she made a face at him, sticking out her tongue and pulling her eyelid down.

"Real mature, Ino," he shot back without looking. "Where's Choji when you need him?" _I could use a good laugh right now._

Ino ignored him, but ceased making faces at least. "We should have stopped at that hot spring resort a ways back." A dreamy look came over her face and she danced into Shikamaru's view. "There was this really hot guy going in there…"

That earned her no more than an annoyed eye roll and she lapsed into silence once more.

Neither of them spoke again until the road brought them to a border checkpoint. It was a simple building with high fencing extending as far as the eye could see in either direction beside it. The trees had been cut down for a hundred yards on either side of the fence to discourage people from attempting to sneak over and the land of frost symbol adorned the fence every hundred or so meters. light snow covered the ground between them and their destination, but on th other side of the fence was a steep incline as they approached the northern mountain ranges. Everything on the slope was visible as a frosty white blob.

Shikamaru steeled his nerve and clutched his fist tightly. _This is it_.

"Alright Ino, remember our identities. No mistakes," he hissed, stepping out into the clearing. No sooner had he done so than four shinobi leapt down to block his progress.

"Halt! Identify yourselves!" one of them called out. He was a slightly taller man with sharp, imposing features and a harsh voice, wearing a heavy cloak and his forehead protector sewn to the right shoulder of it.

_Their leader?_

"I am Hohki Shikamaru and this is Gakusha Ino. We are refugees from Amegakure." No use in hiding their first names. They were fairly common names and it was only their clans that were well known.

The shinobi looked at them suspiciously. "Refugees? Has there been some sort of disaster?"

Shikamaru shook his head, keeping his face carefully neutral. "No. We left when Pain was killed, to escape whatever new regime would rise up to take control. We sought passage here because of your policy on foreign shinobi. When we stayed anywhere else, tracker-nin pursued us, but that won't happen in your country."

"Do you have papers?"

Shikamaru motioned to Ino and she handed them her identification and both of their passports. They nodded as they went over the paperwork.

"Everything seems to be in order," one of them said. "Come inside."

All six of them stepped into the one story building, two of the Shimo nin took their bags and began searching them, removing kunai, senbon, and both of their tanto. Finally, one of them picked up Shikamaru's forged hitai-ate and the distinctive trench knives.

"Captain!" he shouted, calling over the tall shinobi. "They're nin." He laid the knives out with the headband. "What should we do?"

The man looked over them and looked at Shikamaru suspiciously. He was about to reach out for the knives but he stopped short and stared hard at Ino instead. "You, girl, what are you hiding?"

Shikamaru glanced over to see her eyes wide and scared.

_Shit, Ino!_

"Hand it over now!"

Two of the ninja grabbed her arms and the third plucked her own hitai-ate from her hand. Shikamaru held his breath for a bare second before seeing that it wasn't her Konoha badge after all. She was acting, and well enough to fool even him, which meant he had to play along to make it look real.

"Wait!" he yelled, holding his hands up innocently. "Please, let her keep it. It means a lot to her. Its all she has left." _Well that was a shot in the dark._

The man who took it from her hesitated, looking at his captain expectantly. The captain looked between the three of them then down at the scrap of metal in his hand.

"No. All identifying equipment is to be seized at the border. No exceptions. You may keep your weapons, since we don't pretend that our country is friendly to simple tourists, but no identifying equipment."

"Please!" Ino begged him, "I don't want to leave it behind!"

Shikamaru took her by the arm and led her to the corner. "We came here to start a new life, not a scene," he whispered, just loudly enough for them to hear. "If a headband is the only price we have to pay, then we're cutting off our home entirely. And that's a good price."

"But," she protested weakly, winking at him conspiratorially where they couldn't see.

"Its okay. Would you rather go back out there to the tracker-nin?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it and shook her head, then walked over to the captain and bowed her head. "_Gomen nasai. _I'm sorry for wasting your time."

He waved off her apologies and handed them back their identification before taking the hitai-ate. "You all may pass. Enjoy your stay in the land of Frost."

They quickly packed their bags back and marched off into the chilly weather. It was technically still summer, but they were so far north it hardly mattered. Once they were sure they were out of earshot, Ino exploded.

"You just _had_ to bring the trench knives didn't you? Forget buying weapons while we were here, that guy almost recognized them! Shimo fought in the third war, remember? Asuma might have fought that very captain guy! He was about to bust us!"

"It was a calculated risk," Shikamaru replied. "The chance that they'd identify Konoha by a pair of knives was astronomically-"

"Stop it with your calculations, Shikamaru! The fact is, they almost did. If I weren't such a good actor-"

"Gimme a break!"

"C'mon, you saw me fool those guys! I really had 'em going!"

Shikamaru smiled at her. Or rather, he turned the corner of his lips slightly upward when he was looking roughly in her direction. "I'll admit it, you did."

He looked away too quickly to see the blush rise in her cheeks, or the silly grin that plastered itself to her face. If he had kept his eyes on her, he might have glimpsed an Ino that she kept as guarded as the Shimo border.

But in the second that he looked away it disappeared and when he looked back, the Ino he'd always known was still walking by his side.

"How much farther to the target?"

* * *

...

In the dark of night a fire raged in a small town. Quaint homes became fuel, foliage became kindling and bodies became naught but ash. It spread almost too fast, casting smoke and embers throughout the streets, moving unnaturally quickly because of its unnatural source. And near the outskirts of the village, from one of the last houses in town, a small boy fled for his very life.

It was all he could do just to save himself. He didn't have the strength or the courage to turn back the monster that was obliterating his home, slaughtering his family and destroying his village. He fled into the outlying forest, tripping on the first tree root he came across, but he was hidden now, the deep snow and deeper shadows rendering his slight form nearly invisible. With a gulp, he looked back at his village, watching the explosions launch wood and bricks and bodies through the air.

The man had come in the middle of the night, walking through the village house by house, searching for someone. A stroke of bad luck, really, that he found the outsider hiding in the boy's basement and immediately, the two began fighting.

Hibiki's father was the first casualty, getting caught in a hail of shuriken while pushing his older sister out of the way. His mother had come second, hit by some poorly aimed jutsu while she told the two of them to run away. After that, it devolved into a free for all because the jutsu that killed their mother also brought down their house. Out in the street, the fight became much more intense, and as he and his sister ran, more and more of their hometown came down in the hail of Armageddon.

His sister had fallen somewhere behind him. He didn't know if she was dead or alive. It hardly mattered, because he wouldn't find her if he went back. He would probably just get killed. So he sat at the tree line, watching and waiting.

After a few long minutes, the fighting died down and the outsiders were presumably killed. It didn't stop the fires though. No one could stop the fires. They would burn all night until all that was left of his village was himself and ash and dust.

Finally, he saw movement. Someone was limping away from a pile of debris a few dozen yards away. Their arm appeared to be broken in several places and the boy poked forward to get a better view. It was his sister!

"Nii-chan!" he yelled, dashing out of the brush. "Nii-chan you're hurt!"

The young girl smiled at him through her cloud of blonde hair, revealing the gap in her front teeth that had not yet begun to grow back. And then fainted dead away.

He reached her just as she hit the ground, gingerly lifting her head and cradling it in his lap. As her long auburn hair splayed out on his wet trousers, tears flowed hot and fast down his soot covered face, burning his eyes and nose as they fell.

"Don't die nii-chan, I need you! Wake up! Wake up! Don't die! Daddy died so you didn't have to you can't die now!"

He begged and pleaded to no avail. His precious Nii-chan did not move. She didn't wake up.

He sat there for an hour, holding her, having realized that she was still breathing, if only barely, when a shadow came over him. A tall, pale man stood where there had been only air before. He had arrived completely silently, seeming to appear out of thin air.

He raised his sword to strike down the two survivors. Blood splashed on the Hibiki's cheek when he moved the sword and a single drop fell from it at its highest point. He looked up defiantly however, putting his small body over his sisters the way he'd seen his father do not five minutes ago. Seconds later, rattling breath escaped his lungs and the world faded away, the sword piercing both of them through. The man turned to walk away, not even bothering to retrieve his weapon. They would be dead in minutes.

* * *

...

"Shikamaru, do you see that?"

The Nara roused from his slumber, rolling over to face her. A bleary-eyed ,"Wassamatter?" was all he could manage.

Ino stood up and pointed at the top of the treeline where a dim red glow could be seen backlighting the pines. Shikamaru squinted up at them before sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "A forest fire?" he surmised, pulling his blanket off of him. He leapt to his feet. There's an eastern wind here, it'll be coming this way soon, we have to move."

Ino shook her head, already grabbing her pack. "Shikamaru, isn't the village we're supposed to be going to that way?"

His eyes widened in shock. Probably mostly because of Ino correcting him on something and actually being correct herself. "You're right!"

Fully awake now, he hastily rolled up the blanket and stuffed it in his pack before slipping the trench knives onto his fingers. Her eyes met his and he asked her a silent question. _Are you ready_? She nodded quickly and they took off running toward the fire.

It didn't take ten minutes for them to reach the edge of a forest clearing, and they were just in time to watch a man stab two children through with his blade. _Oh, Kami!_

Ino clasped her hand over her mouth to keep silent, and the man turned away, walking away without even bothering to take his sword. _I've got to help them!_

She surged forward, but Shikamaru grabbed her arm, stopping her cold. He pointed at the man where he'd stopped not fifteen feet from the boy and girl and stabbed through a second man with another sword on his hip. He took this sword with him this time and kept moving, stabbing or slashing survivors fatally.

A few quick hand seals later, the spiky haired nin disappeared into nothingness, activating his new jutsu. Shikamaru dashed forward while the killer had his back turned, sprinting to the children's location and slowly drawing the sword out and laying it soundlessly on the ground before lifting them both and dashing back to the forest, his Mesaigakure dripping away.

He didn't stop when he brushed past Ino and she followed the floating him and ran, brushing away the trail of blood dripping from the bundle in his arms.

After about a minute of sprinting full tilt, they stopped, Shikamaru panting heavily as he laid the children down. His hair hung free around his sweaty face as he tried to catch his breath from the exertion. Combining his invisibility with the chakra required to carry two children at a full sprint had winded him. Ino fell over the charges, checking both of their pulses and used her chakra to examine their vitals.

"Shikamaru, I think I'll only be able to save one of them! They're both so weak!"

"The boy," he said instantly. He turned away so she couldn't see the emotions playing across his face as he made the choice. "Do it. Hurry."

Ino nodded, pushing her healing chakra into the child and stitching his wound closed. It took a long time to stabilize him, with a wound going directly through his body and collapsing his lung on the way.

After she finally closed his chest, she moved right to the girl, sweat already pouring down her face. "She's so weak, Shikamaru," Ino gasped. "And I'm almost out of chakra…"

Shikamaru knelt on the other side of the girl, and looked directly into Ino's eyes. "You can do this, Ino. You're the Godaime's apprentice and she's the best medic –nin in the world. If anyone can do this, it's you."

She nodded, his words of encouragement filling her up as surely as Katsuya's chakra transfer could and she focused on stitching the girl's wound as well. The cut did not extend entirely through the girl, but she had a pierced liver and most of her abdominal veins were lacerated completely. Apparently she had also suffered blunt trauma to her left side that bruised her ribs and broke her arm.

Shikamaru's words energized Ino, but they could not replace the chakra that was flowing freely into the dying child before her.

"That's great, Shikamaru, really. But I'm running out of chakra fast. There's nothing more I can do."

Ino's eyes began to water at the strain that she felt her body struggling to match. It was a heavy exertion for an experienced medic to heal a single life threatening wound on a battlefield, but to heal two consecutively was nearly impossible. Her vision blurred and darkened and she felt herself slipping into unconsciousness.

Suddenly, her lapse stopped short and the world came back into focus.

"What the…" An unfamiliar heat covered her fingers, pushing back her fatigue just enough for her brain to re-engage. Shikamaru's warm hands were placed atop her own and she met his eyes, seeing determination locked behind his gaze.

"Use my chakra then," he replied. "They're just children, they don't deserve to die."

Ino nodded sharply at her mission commander. It was a risky decision, draining more of his chakra to heal the children when the killer might be close by, but that was just more incentive to get it over with quickly.

She knew how to pull his energy through his hands to use it herself. She'd done it many a time, both in training with Tsunade and Sakura, during crises where her medical expertise was needed and doctors loaned her strength, but this wasn't any old chakra transfer. This was her childhood friend, her teammate. Someone she cared deeply about, and he definitely wasn't one to offer any sort of physical contact. Just the thought of borrowing his chakra felt foreign and taboo.

He looked away, blushing furiously at the expression she wore, and Ino focused on the task at hand instead of Shikamaru's unexpected compassion. She reached into him, tentatively probing the reservoir of energy he had at his disposal. The sheer volume of it seemed almost endless compared to Ino's own rather limited chakra supply. While it didn't compare to Naruto's almost vulgar amounts of energy (she'd had the privilege of borrowing his chakra just once), it was also a lot less menacing than the jinchuuriki's tainted life force. It seemed like she was siphoning moisture from a still bay, where Naruto's felt like a roiling ocean. It was much easier and much more pleasant, and Ino much preferred it.

Within minutes, the wound closed and both of them fell back into the soft snow, panting heavily. Ino looked up at him curiously, wondering if it was exhaustion that made him recoil so quickly or something else. She felt like she'd taken a rather insignificant portion of his chakra, but he was sweating and panting as if he'd exhausted himself. To complicate things further, he refused to look her in the eyes either.

Ignoring Shikamaru's odd behavior, she continued her work on the girl, moving to set and splint her broken arm as well. He stepped away into the shadows to set up traps for the clearing where they would be camping out. When he returned, Ino approached him, reaching out to grab his hand once more. As soon as her fingers brushed it however, he pulled away, turning to face the children.

She tried to keep her disappointment from reaching her face and failed.

"Thank you for what you did. They wouldn't have survived without you."

Ino perked up, searching for his eyes, but he kept his back to her, resting his weight on one leg and hands in his pockets. Typical Shikamaru pose.

"Why did you save them?" she asked, eyes falling to the ground once more. She noticed his weight shift subtly to his other foot, something that she had long since learned meant he was uncomfortable. But uncomfortable with his stance or her question?

His silence answered both of her questions and the answer swam into her mind unbidden, as if she'd unintentionally plucked it from his own. "They reminded you of your promise to protect the king. You couldn't bear to see them suffer."

He turned around so fast Ino flinched, but there was nothing to be afraid of. His eyes were wide, surprised. For the briefest moment she felt like she was inside the cast iron vault Shikamaru kept his deepest feelings locked tight inside of, and his eyes were the gateway to that place. They met hers and searched them as if the answer to his unspoken question would find itself written on her blue iris. _How did you know?_ His eyes seemed to implore.

Hope swelled in Ino's chest. Of what she was hopeful for, she had no idea, but it was there all the same, only to be dashed seconds later when he turned back around just as quickly.

"Will they survive?" he asked. Quiet and practical. She was locked out again. Shikamaru was back to analyzing his and her every move and every word, playing a strategy game she didn't even know the rules to.

Ino shrugged. "I've done all I can. Its up to them now whether they have the will to pull through.  
We'll need to sit for a few days, though and report. This is unexpected."

Shikamaru nodded slowly. "Alright. You get some sleep then. I'll take first watch and we'll report tomorrow."

Ino gave no sign of her acknowledgement, simply stepping past him and laying on a blanket between the children. She didn't realize how tired she was until her eyes fell shut, and the last thing she heard before the darkness claimed her was Shikamaru's voice.

"What was I thinking?"

* * *

...

Shikamaru stared at Ino's sleeping form as the morning sun crept toward her. Ino would wake up as soon as the first light touched her eye, and she'd roll toward the light wherever it touched her first. Shikamaru had watched this process too many times to count on team 10's genin missions. Ino was usually the most interesting thing to look at first thing in the morning. Well, other than clouds that is.  
So when the young man saw Ino roll away from the sun, instinctively pulling her hair over her face to shield it from the light, he was understandably surprised.

He looked curiously, with half his brainpower examining what might have sparked this behavior and the other half analyzing the maximum potential opacity a sheet of her beautiful platinum blonde hair could generate and precisely how much residual energy from the sun would penetrate to her eyes and wake her up anyway. He was busy fetching ill used data from deep within his brain of exactly how many lumens the sun produced when he realized with a start, his entire brain had just been focused on Ino for more than four seconds.

There was a lot Shikamaru's brain could do in four seconds. He could plan out two hundred moves in Shogi and one hundred and sixty four in Go and select the best available strategy. He could trick an Akatsuki member into stabbing his partner through the chest by planting his blood on the dumber immortal's blade. Hell, he could probably catch an online predator or two as well. So after the four seconds he had been devoting to processing Ino's activity, his brain naturally expected the answers to present themselves. And he had nothing to show for it. _Kami _forbid she do something really crazy, like wake up.

As if that weren't enough stress for one morning, he could almost swear that he had referenced her hair as 'beautiful.'

Shikamaru groaned loudly, not caring what forest animals he disturbed_. I can't keep looking at her. This is where Choji always saved me, and now he's nowhere near. I need a new strategy to keep my attention off her while theres just the two of us. Think Shikamaru, think!_

* * *

...

Ino finally cracked one eye open, sitting up only to discover her hair in a complete mess covering her face. She sucked in a deep breath and blew at her bangs, but they just flopped right back into place, totally obscuring her vision. Finally giving in to the morning, she stretched and rolled to her feet, seeking out her travel pack where she would find a brush and hair ties to tame her mane.

Shikamaru leapt from his perch in the tree to land beside her as she dug through her things.

"We have to get moving soon," he said quickly, almost mumbling the words.

She looked up at the children still sleeping on Shikamaru's blanket. "But…"

"They'll be fine, they made it through the night didn't they?" he said, reading her thoughts. Or just her body language. _When did Shikamaru start paying attention to that kind of stuff? I've always had to spell things out to him._ The forest had grown quiet and they had nearly whispered the exchange.

Not one to complain about positive surprises, Ino stood, her brush held tightly in her hand like a golden nugget. She began to tame her tresses and Shikamaru turned away yet again. Ino was now noticing a definite change. It hadn't been a week since he stared at her wearing nothing but a towel while she was dripping wet and he hadn't made a squeak, but now he couldn't watch a girl brush her hair without blushing.

Testing her theory, she continued brushing and walked around to stand in front of him. He turned to his side. She stepped over again and he turned, but just his face this time. He was saved from further embarrassment by a slight moan from the young boy. Ino rushed over, putting her hand over the child's forehead to check his temperature. Behind her, Shikamaru absentmindedly picked up the brush she had been using to torture him from where she dropped it. She watched him turn it over and over from the corner of her eye, pretending to minister to the boy, who was no more in need of her assistance than the trees they were surrounded by. _Then why did the boy just…_

Ino realized it not a moment too soon. She clamped her hands over her ears, blocking out a sound based genjutsu that had just been activated. The boy must have heard the first few notes of it. It sounded like some sort of instrument was playing that was causing the effect and Shikamaru had gone rigid, caught in the technique. She saw a flash of movement near the treeline and made a quick decision. Stabilizing her chakra to repel the mental assault, she lifted a rock and threw it into the back of Shikamaru's head. Hard.

He toppled forward not a moment too soon as a hail of kunai hit the ground exactly where he had just been.

The thrower, an enormous, dark skinned man wearing the pale robes and purple rope of an Otogakure ninja, leapt from the trees, attacking the genius where he lay recovering. Ino leapt forward, intercepting the attack with a solid kick to his ribs.

He fell over Shikamaru, stumbling to regain his balance and Ino kept up her pursuit, flinging kick after kick at him in the hopes of driving him away from the children.

Shikamaru made two hand seals and trapped the ninja in his Kage mane as if he were catching a child and Ino quickly jumped into the Oto-nin's mind. The feeling of her consciousness leaving her body was always accompanied by a distant flinch as her body slumped to the ground. Once inside, she swatted away the man's consciousness as if it were an annoying insect and locked him in a secluded corner of his own mind. Rifling through his recent memories, she took note of his parner, jutsus, and mission before opening his (her) eyes.

"I've got him, Shikamaru." The voice was strange, a mix between a rasp and a growl, sounding eerily similar to Orochimaru's slithery speech.

No sooner had the Nara released his clan jutsu than the genjutsu user struck again, playing a much quicker melody this time. From what Ino knew about genjutsu, this would weaken its effect, but it would set in much faster. Ino didn't have time to figure out how to mold chakra in this new body, nor did she have time to return to her body and prepare a defense. Her only chance was to leave the second nin's body at the precise moment the genjutsu activated, leaving her in conscious limbo and unaffected.

She tried to listen to the melody swimming through her head and guage when to jump ship and the man laughed at her from outside his own mind. "You'll never pull that off, girlie. Tayuya's the best at disguising her attacks."

"Tayuya?" Ino said aloud, turning to Shikamaru a bit awkwardly. "Didn't she…"

The whipped around to face her, realization dawning. "Now!"

Ino didn't have time to realize that Shikamaru had not only been planning his moves and his defense against the genjutsu, he had also planned out Ino's, and come to the same conclusion she did. He had listened to the pattern, analyzed it and timed to the millisecond when to get her out of the attacker's body. When her blue eyes opened, her shoulders propped against his leg, she whispered the only word that could describe how she felt. "Amazing."

* * *

...

"Not really," Shikamaru answered, reestablishing Kagemane on the now genjutsu-ed attacker. "I had a head start. I've fought Tayuya before, but, I don't understand, she should be dead. She should have died five or six years ago."

A haunting voice spoke up and the flute's melodies ceased. "Not bad, Nara." A voice called out from the trees. It kept moving and both his and Ino's eyes darted to and fro trying to get a bead on it. _Just a few more seconds and Ino will be back in this fight._

"Your skills have improved since we last met, though I didn't expect you to remember the details of that song after so long. You really are as smart as he said…"

Ino jumped up, finally in full control of her body again and Tayuya showed her face, landing on a branch directly above the children. Shikamaru's heart almost skipped a beat. It really was her, back from the grave, or as much as one could be these days. Her fire red hiar now extended past her waist and the black helmet was gone, replaced by bandages that wrapped her nearly from head to toe beneath her Oto uniform.

"How are you alive?" Shikamaru yelled, readying a kunai. "Temari killed you."

He didn't notice Ino's slight flinch at the name, nor did he give any indication that his kage mane was nearing its limit on the second sound nin.

"Kabuto is a miracle worker when it comes to healing. He found me basically dead already and transplanted me a whole new fuckin abdomen, then used some kinda jutsu to put some runt's life force into me."

The sound nin fought against the weakening kagemane, and Shikamaru realized his chakra reserves were extremely low. He'd have to lure Tayuya down to capture her, but how? She was a strictly long range type and if her summons got involved, those kids were dead meat.

He could try his new jutsu…but it was still incomplete. And _slow_. The probability that he would hit her with it was in the decimals. He could, however, use it on her partner, as he'd designed it for use with Kage mane as a finisher of sorts, but Kage nui was nearly as good and expended a quarter of the chakra. Taijutsu wouldn't work on either of them, it appeared. He had about sixty seconds of Kage mane left in him and she was likely to simply run away for at least that long and smash him to bits with her summons.

That left genjutsu. His gaze slid slowly over and he caught Ino's blue eye. She raised an eyebrow a fraction of an inch without taking her eyes off Tayuya. He was almost sure she was asking, '_Can you take her?' _he shook his head slightly. Three degrees rotation left, six right. She shouldn't even notice something that subtle. Ino's eyes widened a tiny bit and her lips pursed tensely. _Me?_

He nodded just as minutely. Ino nodded and he hoped she was up to the task. If he remembered correctly, genjutsu was Tayuyua's specialty, so trapping the sound nin in one would seem difficult.

Well," Tayuya said to the immobile shinobi before her, "Lets see if you remember these guys, twerp." She raised the flute, her first two fingers motioning to summon her Doki. This would be bad. There was no way the kids would survive this with her right on top of them.

"Wait!" Shikamaru cried. Maybe a bluff would buy them the time they needed. "We surrender," Shikamaru said to Tayuya. "On the condition you don't harm the children."

The redhead stared haughtily at them. "Figures. You leaf pussies couldn't stand up to Orochimaru-sama's last loyal servants."

_That's it! Use Orochimaru against her! Thirty seconds, Shikamaru, its time for endgame._

"You know he's dead right?" he asked measuredly, sweat beading on his forehead.

Her eyes flashed angrily. "Of course I do! Why do you think you've had so long to live, punk?"

Now it was his turn to be surprised. "You were coming after me specifically? Not just Konoha?"

She nodded, taking a precious second to reconstitute his massive jump in logic. "Of course. Orochimaru-sama wanted the village destroyed as a whole, but I wanted revenge. It took about three years to recover from what your bitch did to me."

A slight cough from Ino.

Tayuya looked at her curiously. "After that, I started seeking out Orochimaru-sama and that's about when he died."

At this moment, several things happened in quick succession. Shikamaru's Kage mane disconnected and he fell to his knees gasping. Tayuya started, not realizing his jutsu was disconnected for a bare second. A second was all it took for Ino to form four hand seals and launch a genjutsu before her that she was caught in the second she laid eyes on Ino,and the second Oto-nin charged at Shikamaru who was still winded from his exertion.

Ino, barely finished trapping Tayuya, leapt over and kicked the Oto-nin in the ribs again and he tripped over Shikamaru's kneeling form to faceplant in the dirt behind him.

Without waiting for a cue, Shikamaru leapt toward Tayuya, pushing chakra into his legs to propel him to her branch and stick him to the surface. He didn't have the chakra for another extended kage mane and he had to disarm and tie her before she escaped from the genjutsu. He brought a line of wire and wrapped her hands quickly before she moved. He hadn't quite finished the last knot, but she wasn't getting out of it anytime soon. Her hands were bound and that was what mattered, making her jutsu and her flute useless.

Then he saw a kunai slice into the wires as if they were butter. Her hands came free and she began blowing into the flute as if her life depended on it.

Shikamaru could only verbalize the way he felt in two syllables. "Aww, shit."

* * *

...

Ino finished the genjutsu with not a second to spare, leaping into a perfect dragon kick to save Shikamaru from being pummeled. Guy sensei would have been proud. She had been working with the eccentric man on her taijutsu of late and was eager to show it off.

"Bring it jerk," she said to the Oto-nin. "I've got your curse seal right here."

He took his eyes off Shikamaru and focused on the blonde, sizing her up before grinning broadly. He roared a primal challenge and charged at her, trying to use his mass to his advantage.

"You don't talk much do you?" she quipped. _What was it Oto-san said about big guys like this? Let him chase?_

She screamed in mock terror and ran, feigning the fright she might have felt at this situation a few years ago. Now, the oversized ninja was just a training dummy to her.

He roared a monosyllabic cry of rage that conveyed no sentience whatsoever. _Heavy on the dummy._

She led him directly toward the largest tree she could find and slowed so he was only a few feet behind. When she was three steps from the tree, she accelerated, running up the bark until she was even with his head, completely horizontal with her arms wide for balance and her head tilted back, looking him in the eye. She winked at the brute as he tried clumsily to grab her. Twisting her body as only a ninja could, she brought her arms tight to her body and began to spin as she completed the backflip over his shoulder.

Bringing her body around, she completed the maneuver with her foot outstretched, widening her arms again and twisting all of her built up momentum into her hips.

WHAM!

Her foot hit the back of his head with the force of a cannon and his face hit the trunk of the tree with even more energy than that.

Ino landed with catlike grace and slapped dust from her ragged clothing. "That was easy."

She turned around to check on the children when she heard the slight crack of wood. Her eyebrow twitched in annoyance. _There is no way he is still conscious! Who is this guy?_

But he didn't seem to care what Ino thought his pain tolerance should entail. He turned around, bark falling from the new gap in his teeth and one eye lolling lazily upwards while the other focused solely on the object of his newfound rage.

Another yell and she was running for her life, seriously this time. She turned around and planted a spectacular kick to his groin. Cheap but effective. He rolled over, howling, but surely enough got back up to chase her yet again. She stood her ground, pouding him wherever she could with kicks and knees, but his return swings hurt a_ lot_ worse than she let on. She leapt to deliver a strike to a nerve cluster in his neck, slamming a roundhouse on his overly developed deltoid instead. redirecting his follow up punch with her left arm, she spun to the ground and swept his legs from underneath him. At least she tried to. The shock of the impact reverberated up her knee and his left leg slid about six inches.

_What is this guy made of?_

Drawing a ring of kunai, she threw two at him that he blocked easily. What he didn't notice, however, was the garrote wire she'd tied to the other two knives. Leaping back, he pursued her as she spun the kunai, her eyes searching for the perfect place to trap her enemy. There!

Ino threw the first kunai into the trunk of a tree as hard as she possibly could and was rewarded with a deep strike. He raised his fist, preparing for a hammer blow and she dodged it. She leapt over his head with a little help from her chakra and spun in a perfect pirouette upside down, the free kunai held at his neck level, effectively wrapping the garrote around his neck.

She landed, holding the other end of the kunai and his life in her hands. He was trapped and a smug grin grew across her face once more. She was Ino Yamanaka! Kunoichi supreme!

Any move he made would result in his own decapitation now, and, dumb as he was, he seemed to realize this.

Unfortunately, this only angered him more and the cursed seal on his left fist began to glow and expand.

"Aww, shit."

* * *

_A/N: Whew! chapter two in the books! This was running a bit long (20 pages or so in word) so i cut it at the best cliffie just for you! xD_

_First thing, first, i realize that Tayuya's appearance makes this a bit AU but i figure its a plausible excuse for her to have lived. Bear with me a few chapters, shall we?  
Secondly, I thought Ino's taijutsu would likely be most effective in a Tae-Kwon-Do sort of style, using her legs to her advantage with lots of kicks, so there's that and three guesses as to what Shikamaru's new jutsu is!  
Finally, please please please give me omake ideas. i actually had none for this chapter. _

_I really appreciate all the support you guys give in the favs, alerts and reviews everybody! Keep em coming and i'll keep writing!_


	4. Sewing Seeds

_A/N: And we're back! Two quick things before we begin so bear with me! The first is that I've acquired the services of my first ever beta reader! Thanks, kudos and cookies to Renting for her mad editing skillz! _

_Second is that i've analyzed the data provides for authors and only about 2.7% of the actual visitors are reviewing the story thus far...and two people have reviewed twice. I write this for you guys' entertainment and enjoyment, and now Renting is editing for your ease of reading and we'd greatly appreciate it if you let us know what you think of our hard work._

_ Even if you just review once, just stop by and leave a few words. Praise, Flames, critiques or just a thank you. And now for your reading pleasure..._

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Sewing Seeds**

The three Doki appeared in front of Shikamaru once again. They swung clubs and crashed into trees, trying to kill him for no reason other than the fact that a flute was telling them to. Frankly, it pissed him off. He didn't get angry much. It usually took a lot of time and energy, but there were quite a few things right now that were pissing him off. He hadn't slept all day, his precious few hours of rest coming before they had discovered the forest fire and he rather liked sleeping. _As a matter of fact, I'd rather be back in Konoha, laying on my hill and watching clouds._

CRASH! A hundred year old tree splintered into mulch and Shikamaru leapt away, barely escaping harm. _I can't even watch clouds here! Its completely overcast twenty-four seven!_

BLAM! A club missed him by bare inches, gouging a furrow a meter long into the cold ground. _But what does the Hokage have me do? Make me go on some over-hyped mission I'm under-qualified for. I don't even want a promotion! Now some dead bitch is chasing me around and trying to pummel me because she's not really dead._

Shikamaru kept thinking of a strategy, trying to figure out a way to beat her, but the same result kept coming to mind no matter how he played his pieces. He needed a different approach, one that not only would defeat her, but also push his luck in a new direction.

As he dodged another earth-shattering strike, the beginnings of a plan began to form in his mind.

"Hey!" he called out to Tayuya, making a capital 'T' with his hands in the universal 'Timeout' gesture. To his immense surprise, the Doki attacks actually halted.

"What?" she asked from her position somewhere above him. If she was going to hand him an opportunity to execute his strategy, he wasn't going to refuse. He fell to the forest floor and landed in a soft pile of snow.

"Haven't we done this before? I mean, I'll think of some strategy you can't possibly have anticipated, you'll counter it because Kage Mane isn't quite as strong as it really should be for a hidden jutsu, and we'll end up at a stalemate. Then a blonde kunoichi will come out of the blue and kill you 'cause she's already finished with her fight."

And here was the wild card. Everything else that would happen depended on how she reacted right now.

Tayuya laughed shortly, then it became a sustained bellow: hearty, rude, and every bit deserved. But the red-headed ninja leapt from her perch and landed in a tree just out of range of his Kage Mane. "I suppose we have. What do you propose?"

Shikamaru smirked at the kunoichi. "Actually…I just want to talk."

* * *

...

The man's cursed seal glowed heavily, giving power to him that she probably wouldn't begin to fathom. Once he reached his full potential, he'd kick her around like a rag doll. She didn't want to see his level two curse seal transformation. It was the power that had turned Uchiha Sasuke into a crazed monster, turning his back on his friends and enemies alike in the pursuit of something like it. So she didn't wait for him to finish. She tugged the kunai, and the garrote tightened instantly on his neck, slicing into his vital arteries and windpipe. Within a minute, the curse seal was completely irrelevant because its host had bled out.

Shaking her head, Ino threw the kunai into another tree as a sort of stake in case he wanted to make another heroic comeback. It was stupid ninjas who were held in awe of power that gave everyone a bad name. If you start off better than 'em, why wait for them to power up?

She thought she'd done quite well in disposing of her opponent. It was something Shikamaru likely wouldn't be able to match, so her astonishment when Shikamaru returned after his bout was palpable.

Her jaw nearly hit the frost-laden ground when Tayuya walked back to their camp, calmly following Shikamaru at a respectful distance. Her head was bowed slightly in deference until she set her eyes on Ino.

"You! Inferior warrior!" she called out. "Inform Shikamaru-sama of your battle's conclusion."

Ino blinked stupidly. Had she heard that right? _Shikamaru-sama_?

"Don't call me that," the genius muttered to Tayuya. "And whatever you do, don't talk to Ino-san like that either. Her name is Ino, but 'Yamanaka-san' does just fine too."

"As you wish, Shikamaru-sama." The redhead turned back to Ino, apparently noticing neither her dead partner behind her nor the gaping surprise registered on the blonde's face. By Ino's definitions, that qualified her as dense. Obtuse even!

"Shikamaru-sama would have me apologize to you, and I do so out of deference to him." She didn't add, '_Not out of respect to you_', but Ino heard it in her body language.

"Shika-kun?" Ino said, holding on to her consciousness. The urge to faint was growing every second.

"Yeah?" he replied, checking on the children to make sure they were unharmed.

"Can I talk to you? In private? Away from your little mind-slave?"

Tayuya hissed like the snake she used to serve. Shikamaru stepped between the two.

"Tayuya, watch the children, and please do something about your partner. We can't be found here. If you're going to come with us, you have to remain under the radar."

"As you wish, Shikamaru-sama." And she moved off to dispose of her former partner's corpse.

"Yes, Ino?" the genius said a little too casually.

"What…" That word took a lot out of her. She had to brace herself for his reply if she couldn't get the question out. "What is going on here?"

Shikamaru sighed heavily. "It's a lot to explain, but basically she wanted to kill us - well, me - because her orders to destroy Konoha stand until she dies, not Orochimaru. So I used a little jutsu I picked up ICOS to put the curse seal into remission, sort of like Anko's. She figured having Snake Eyes out of her head was worth eternal loyalty. Especially since I told her I probably have to reapply the same seal every week or so."

In her mind, Ino was struggling to swallow the information. _Did he really just use an abbreviation that Sakura and I came up with in the academy? In Case Of Sasuke? Has he read my DIARY?_

Her anger and surprise had begun to mix in her emotional combustion chamber, and the results were going to be catastrophic. But she had to temper her…temper. They had a mission to fulfill and that mission had already involved children somehow. "Shikamaru, we've already picked up two tagalongs with these kids. What part of a plan could she_ possibly_ fulfill?"

And then he uttered the words she never thought she'd hear him say. "I haven't thought that far ahead."

Shikamaru's light mood had begun to fall back into his normal lazy drawl, and Ino felt frustration creeping in. For eighteen years he hadn't let her understand so much as a smirk without hours of research, investigation, and brainstorming. Now he'd been transparent with her by comparison for nearly a day. She would be damned if he was going to shell up again.

_**I keep asking why you care so much**_, her inner self wondered.

_Shut up you! Shikamaru is…my friend!_

_**Really? So why do you never tell him about the things you and Neji used to do? Why do you always hide your relationships from him? If he's 'just a friend', then you should be open with him.**_

Ino silenced her thoughts and focused on the spiky haired genius in front of her. Why hadn't she told him? She had always brushed those questions off whenever they were raised. Sakura knew everything, as did Choji. Even Kiba was privy to some things. So why was Shikamaru always kept out of the loop?

Resigning herself to answering that question at a later date, she stared curiously as he bent to pick up her discarded hairbrush from the soggy ground. He turned it over in his hand, examining it as if it were a murder weapon before he plucked a single strand of hair from its bristles and held it up in the light. _What in the world is he doing?_

Ino stood and turned around to face him. "What in the world are you doing?" She said it in an accusing tone, trying to force an embarrassed confession.

She should have known better than to force anything from Shikamaru. His voice betrayed no guilt as he said quite evenly, "Measuring its peak opacity."

As if she understood or cared how to measure the opacity of blonde hair. The only uses Ino ever found for her hair were as a paralytic agent to use her mind transfer jutsu and to use as a paralytic agent on teenage boys. Sad really.

"Riiiiight," she drawled, turning back to the children. She checked the girl's vitals before picking absently at the tears in her ragged sleeve.

"I still need to report, Shikamaru."

He shook his head slowly, dropping her hair into the snow. "If we report now, we'll look like a bunch of chunin in over our head. I'll go search the rubble in town for our target's body. The fires should have gone out by now. I'm taking Tayuya with me."

Ino frowned but nodded. "I'll stand guard, I guess. Should I set the usual traps?"

He nodded once before leaping up into the nearest tree. "I'll be back soon."

But that was a lie. It was nearly evening when they finally returned, his face covered in ash and soot and wearing a disheartened expression to boot. Clutching a hitai-ate in his hand, he flopped down in the snow next to Ino. She looked down at the item in his grip, noting the symbol to be of the Earth country. Tayuya merely stood beside him, stoically awaiting his every command.

"I'm not going to order you to sit down," he said. He sounded annoyed. "At ease, or whatever."

Ino pointed at the head guard in his hand. "Was that…?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Yeah. Iwa nin. There were four of them, and now they're all dead. Our target wasn't among the dead. Either he wasn't home or he got away somehow."

Was that why he was gone all day? Had they been overturning every dead body in the village in search of their mark? If so, she felt useless. He'd been out after not sleeping at all last night and fighting all morning. Where she had killed her opponent, he had converted his into a useful - if annoying - ally. And while she could only set traps to protect two children who may or may not live to see daylight again, he had successfully reconnoitered their destination and gleaned useful intelligence.

"I cooked dinner!" Ino said eagerly, reaching over to the small campfire she'd made and shoveling his portion onto a travel plate. He looked at the pile of food in front of him as if it was alien and she cringed, crestfallen. Even her one small contribution was being looked down on.

She vividly remembered his criticism of her cooking from a week ago and made sure his portion couldn't be considered elderly. He stared at his hands, covered in soot, grime, and day old dead people, not wanting to eat before cleaning them somewhat. Ino realized that a moment too late, snatching his plate back and digging in her pack for a handkerchief to wipe with.

"It's fine, Ino. I'll just-"

"No, hold on, I know it's here somewhere!"

"But I can-"

"No! I've got this! I just have to find-"

"Ino, really." He sat up, wiping his grimy hands on his equally dirty pants in a vain attempt to clean them.

Why was he determined to make her feel useless? It was bad enough that she wasn't suggested for the mission. But now when they were finally out, her own partner wouldn't even let her clean his hands! She turned around, fire in her eyes and finger aimed menacingly in his general direction.

"Shut it, smarty! You've been out all day. Just relax."

Tayuya's eyes flared, still standing over him, but he closed his mouth obediently and began fiddling with the snow in front of him. The sound nin took the cue from her new master and sat, fiddling with the snow as well. Most of the clearing had melted since Ino started her fire though, and he quickly ran out of entertainment.

She was on her third search through her pack when he stood and put a hand on her shoulder gently. "Ino, I'm hungry. I'll just eat it. It doesn't matter."

She sat back, torn between being helpful and accepting his gentle touch without even knowing what was really going on in her head. If she wasn't sure she was making a judgment error somewhere, she would've been sure she was getting overly curious about her lifelong friend.

Shikamaru dug into the plate, dirty hands and all as Ino absentmindedly kept up her search. Finally prying the cloth from her spare equipment pouch, she hurried over and knelt eagerly in front of Shikamaru, who promptly stood up.

_Alright, that was funny earlier_, _but now it's just annoying_, she thought acidly.

Tayuya looked at Shikamaru's empty plate with a curious expression somewhere between longing and fear. "Shikamaru-sama. I apologize for bothering you, but I have not eaten in days…"

The two of them looked at the girl, who in turn was looking pitifully at the empty plate. Ino felt her stomach wrench.

"There's more food," Shikamaru said evenly. "Ino, would you mind getting her some?"

Her stomach un-wrenched.

"Hell no I won't feed your new _servant_! She can get the food herself!"

But Tayuya wasn't in a mood to argue Ino's degrading tone. At the first hint of Ino's permission, she snatched up the plate and began heaping food atop it. Ino blinked, surprised as she watched her and wondered briefly what kind of life she had suffered to be acting this way. If she knew Shikamaru - and Ino _knew_ Shikamaru - he wasn't in any way obligating this girl to tag along. He probably would rather that she not, but the tactical advantage another chunin level ninja deep behind enemy lines provided was too great to pass up.

The first vestiges of compassion had begun to form themselves in Ino's mind when Shikamaru interrupted her thoughts.

"It's time to report," he said, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. His dirty, ragged, Ame-costume sleeve. _Yuck_! _No matter how much I'm around them boys are always so gross! At least Neji was neat, though he took it to the extreme sometimes._

Regardless of how difficult and gross Shikamaru was, he was still in command of this mission, so she knelt in a meditative pose and closed her eyes. Leveling her breathing and invoking her clan's hidden jutsu, she sent her consciousness out to find her father. Inoichi's voice sounded much too relieved to hear hers.

_Ino! Thank kami, you've been gone nearly a week already. What happened?_

_We've hit a road-bump here. We got in fine, but the village the gang leader was in was destroyed and his body was not recovered. Shikamaru thinks he escaped._

She tactfully omitted the Oto-nin attack, since that appeared to be strictly Shikamaru-related and he hadn't instructed her on how they would proceed with Tayuya. If she told them now that an unrelated ninja knew where they were, they'd probably scrub the mission entirely.

Inoichi was silent a long while.

_Oto-chan*?_

_Yes, Ino. I'm with Tsunade. She says to pursue this guy with everything you've got. He's our only lead to finding Kabuto and Zetsu. Shikamaru likely has a plan in place already, so Tsunade's giving him full discretion under the circumstances. _

_Full discretion? But Shikamaru's just-_

_She trusts him, Ino. You should too. I had to learn to trust Shikaku's intuition as well._

Ino neglected to tell him of Shikamaru's slip-up at the border. Or his acceptance of a former enemy into their midst because she added some honorific to his name. Or the fact that he'd risked both their lives to save some little kids that were entirely unrelated to the mission. Trust his intuition. Right…

_Hai, oto-chan. I'll be in contact._

_Ino?_

_Yes?_

_Be safe. I love you. Your mother sends her wishes. She says bring back any interesting flowers if you can._

Ino smiled inwardly. Her mother had never been a Shinobi, but being raised in a prominent clan of them meant she had to understand that there was no time to be picking flowers on an S-rank mission.

_Love you guys too._

She terminated the link and sat up, blushing. Sometimes fathers were so…embarrassing.

"Well, daddy says Tsunade gave you full discretion, so what's our next move, almighty strategist?"

* * *

...

Shikamaru frowned at the title, but ultimately ignored it, like he did with most things Ino said. She had never deferred to him as the impromptu leader of Team 10, and she didn't believe the words she was saying now. In fact, if he wasn't mistaken, she held a slight grudge against him for being in Asuma's unit when he died. As if his strategies were the reason their sensei had fallen.

Brushing aside the distaste in his mouth and the guilt in his heart, he turned to her anyway, careful to keep out of Tayuya's earshot. He didn't trust the sound nin in the slightest yet, despite the fact that she appeared genuine. She was busy stuffing her face with the rest of Ino's cooking, however, and wouldn't bother them.

"Our next move is to interrogate these children and learn what they know," he said. "We'll never be able to find this guy without clues and they might just have a few. After that, we'll find out what Tayuya knows. I want her to think we trust her more than we do at first, so I have a little something planned."

"I don't care for Tayuya, but…" Ino looked over at the sleeping children, a protest forming on her lips.

"Don't argue," Shikamaru said quickly. "It has to be done."

Ino set her hips and placed her balled fists on them. "I was _going _to say-"

Ino only put her hands on her hips like that when verbal abuse or physical violence was about to commence. Maybe it was a female thing because his mother, Temari, and Anko Mitarashi all did the same thing. It didn't matter; it was unavoidable at this point. _Troublesome._

"We just saved these children's lives from a very traumatic experience. They might not be strong enough to resist just asking them simple questions. There's no need to interrogate them! You and your worst case scenarios are always what get us in trouble! Maybe you should start seeing the good in people every once in a while!"

Thankful that he had somehow avoided a physical confrontation, Shikamaru was nevertheless sufficiently reprimanded. Despite her usual dislike of any harsh methods of dealing with almost anyone, she actually had a valid point.

It bothered him that he had automatically dismissed a compassionate solution simply because of their situation and being deep behind enemy lines. He could not be so closed minded if they were going to survive.

He peered at the sleeping children. They would have to wake up soon. With their injuries long past and nearly twenty four consecutive hours of sleep under their belt, it wouldn't be too much longer. The young boy proved him right one quiet hour later, fidgeting more and more until he finally sat up.

The child instantly cringed in pain, clutching his left shoulder briefly before realizing that his wound was no more. His breath picked up, panic setting in until he saw Ino kneeling near his feet with a ration bar - Tayuya had eaten the remainder of the cooked food - and a skein of water.

"Kaa-san*?" he croaked out. His throat was parched dry from the fires and his voice cracked heavily.

Ino only shook her head slowly, a tear forming in her eye and she gently poured water into his waiting mouth. "I'm not your kaa-san," Ino replied. "But I'm here to take care of you. We won't hurt you."

The boy only looked more panicked at the revelation, but her gentle words and gentler touch kept reassuring him of her honesty. He finished the water quickly and tore into the ration bar.

_Kid must be really hungry_, Shikamaru remarked to no one but himself. Between him and Tayuya he'd need a local job just to feed them all.

Indeed he was. He finished more than one of their limited supplies before finally settling his mind around the obvious questions. "If you're not my kaa-san, who are you?"

Ino balked at that question, looking hopefully at Shikamaru. He understood her quandary without her saying a word. She didn't want to expose anything this child might later relay, and with the mission solely in his hands, it was up to him to disseminate information.

"We're just travelers passing by," Shikamaru opted to say. _No use telling him more than he'll comprehend anyway_. "We saw you get hurt and we had to help you. What is the last thing you remember before you were hurt?"

He only had a brief period in which a child would actually be malleable. If he wasn't able to form a positive opinion of themselves, he would have to extract what information he could forcibly before the child locked up.

"I was with my parents," he began, straining his memory. "And a man attacked. He was strong. He did something to my parents…hurt them. And then…nee-chan! Where is nee-chan?"

Shikamaru's eyebrows shot up. He had been coughing up valuable information before changing topics in the blink of an eye.

"She's right here," Ino cooed, moving aside to show his sister, unharmed and breathing deeply. "We were able to save her too, thanks to him." She smiled and pointed at Shikamaru, who sighed heavily at the unwanted attention.

"You saved my nee-chan?" he asked, eyes betraying a mix of awe and appreciation.

"More or less," Shikamaru grumbled. "She did all the real work."

Ino rolled her eyes and returned to questioning the boy. "You said there was a strong man. What do you remember about him?"

The child's brow furrowed and he began to wail loudly. "Blood! There was blood! He killed everybody!"

Shikamaru knelt in front of him, shushing him. "Hey, you have to stay quiet. You'll bring him back if you're too loud."

Instead of having the desired effect, this only seemed to make him cry louder. _Kami,_ he was terrible with kids!

Ino reached into her bag. "_Baka_! Why'd you have to go and say that? He obviously doesn't like that guy!"

"How was I supposed to know he'd cry louder? I'm not a nurse!"

Ino finally pulled something out of her bag as Tayuya looked over to see what the commotion was. "Shikamaru-sama, would you like me to silence the whelp?"

It was now Shikamaru's turn to roll his eyes, annoyed. "No, don't silence the whelp. I mean the kid! Ino, shut him up!"

"On it," Ino said, and rammed a candy bar into his open maw. It was like plugging a leaky faucet.

Silence settled so quickly Shikamaru thought he heard an echo. The three ninja peered around, waiting for someone to burst from the trees. When no one appeared to be forthcoming, Tayuya resumed to her smashing of their foodstuffs and Ino returned her attention to the child.

"What else do you remember about your village? From before the attack?"

The boy looked eager to answer a question he understood. "I went to school at the school, and played at the park, and I peed in the fountain."

Making a mental note to avoid the land of Frost's water fountains, he took over the questioning. "Is there anywhere you weren't allowed to go in the village?"

Maybe his parents would have known about the gang leader. It didn't appear to be a well-kept secret, and it was dubious that they would let their children visit his house on weekends to pee in his fountains. It was as good a question as any other he had.

"Yes," the boy said, looking sheepish.

_Now we're getting somewhere. _

"Kaa-san said I couldn't go to the park anymore."

Ino slammed her palm in her face. "This is getting us nowhere."

But Shikamaru shushed her, listening as the boy continued. "And then Kaa-san said I couldn't go near the bad man."

Both the Konoha nin perked up at this. "The bad man? What does he look like?"

The kid shrugged. "Nee-chan saw him once, but I only know he has a scar."

The boy mimed cutting his face in diagonally from his chin to his hairline.

Shikamaru grinned slightly. That made him quite distinctive.

Tayuya spoke up once more. "Shikamaru-sama, I met a man like that."

He contemplated drawing a line between what she could and couldn't listen in on but his curiosity got the better of him. "When and where?"

"In the destroyed village. My contact spent several minutes talking to him in one of the abandoned houses."

The wheels churned in Shikamaru's head. If the person who was supplying Tayuya with information knew their target, he likely had some involvement with the man and possibly knew of their mission. Was it a coincidence that the village was burned down just before he'd gotten there? It seemed likely. He needed to think, and luckily, he had all the time in the world to do it.

Sitting down in a cross-legged pose, he joined his fingers together in the eternity symbol his father had taught him. _All things are connected. All life flows within the circle. _It was a trite phrase and he thought it more out of habit, but it helped him focus. He put all the pieces he knew into place, considering where the connections were.

_Tayuya_ _attacked. Met gang leader beforehand. Village destroyed in the battle with Iwa-nin._ _Met Tayuya five years ago. Ino used quotations when she said troublesome for the first time right before I left for that mission._

His eyebrow twitched in annoyance as that particular memory found its way into his meditation. He forced the blonde kunoichi from his thoughts and continued.

_Iwa nin are dead. Hitai-ate recovered. Her contact probably informed her of us. 'Bad man' left just before attack. Too convenient. A ruse?_

He couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something right in front of him. Opening his eyes, he glanced around the camp for the hauntingly obvious observation. _Come on. What is it?_

_Rucksacks, trench knives, children, Tayuya, second Oto-nin…Ino._ And it was on. A hundred thousand images of Ino flashed through his mind at once and he rocked back from the intensity. He'd purposely avoided thinking openly about her and this was why.

He was subjected to images of his favorite moments with her, his least favorite moments with her, and things that he only wished would happen that made his cheeks burn with shame. The fact that she arranged flowers as her day job, her smile, her clothes…

**ding! **A small light bulb went off in his head and he reconstructed the clothing she had been wearing the day before he'd fought Tayuya. Purple shirt with white half sleeves, bandaged shoulders, waist and legs, skirt, sandals. Hitai-ate at her wonderfully slender waist.

**Ding!** Bigger light bulb. _Her waist?_ He secretly hoped for an excuse to stare at her hips now.

Nothing. _Damn._

_Hitai-ate?_ _She's not wearing one now. They took it at the-_

**DING! **

Shikamaru's eyes snapped open. "Tayuya, your mission was to kill me?"

"Unofficially only, Shikamaru-sama. I apologize for any-"

"So your contact is still around waiting for you to return?"

She nodded.

Shikamaru leapt up turning to Ino. "She and I are going to capture her contact. We'll bring him back. You'll mindswap and tell us why the bad man left before he destroyed the village."

He grabbed his kunai pouch and Tayuya leapt to her feet, ready to obey any order.

"Wait, Shikamaru!" Ino said, exasperated. "Do you mind telling me what's going on?"

"Can't wait," he said, giving her his default brush-off. His face was probably still red from his earlier revelation of exactly how far ahead his mind could plan their relationship going. He needed space from her to clear his thoughts and conveniently, he didn't trust Tayuya to stay with the children.

What he said was, "We have to get to this guy."

Without another word, he leapt away and Tayuya followed. Ino flopped back down with no one around to see the hurt expression that only he could seem to coax from her.

Well, almost no one.

"Is the Pineapple Man chasing the bad man?"

* * *

_I'll try to get the next chapter written up ASAP, so once again, take a few seconds and let us know what you think!_

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	5. Unanswered Questions

**Chapter 5**

**Unanswered Questions**

Tayuya glanced over at Shikamaru, running beside and slightly behind her. He didn't trust her, naturally. She had seen him twice in her life and tried to kill him both times, so she at least knew where he was coming from.

She thought he was an arrogant, weak little prick when she'd first met him, but he'd proven to be a _really smart_, arrogant, and somewhat strong little prick. Now he was four and a half years smarter and stronger, and probably far too much of a match for her to defeat. It was only because of Kabuto that she'd survived his girlfriend's technique then, and someone with his brains was sure to know at least one jutsu that powerful now.

As they leapt through the forest of pine trees, he watched her every move, not allowing his guard down for a second. She felt a chill every time his eyes met with hers that had nothing to do with the cold weather. _His eyes. They're like Orochimaru's. So calculating…_

"Our destination is not much farther ahead, Shikamaru-sama."

He only nodded and began scanning the area for possible traps, though Tayuya knew there would be none. They stopped in a clearing, Shikamaru following her lead to the letter. She brandished a pair of chakra-restricting shackles. "You'll have to put these on, Shikamaru-sama."

He rolled his eyes skyward. "Like I'm _that_ dumb. And haven't I told you to stop calling me that?"

"I will leave them unsecured for your personal safety, but I assure you my loyalty to that…_thing_ is over. You are now my master."

She intentionally avoided answering his question, daring to test her theory of not having to fear his reprisal for such a small insubordination. Orochimaru might have taken a finger or toe for avoiding his question, no matter how shameful it was to answer.

"Have I mentioned I don't want you to be my servant?" A hint of annoyance had crept into his voice.

Tayuya averted her eyes, upset that she was aggravating her master just by existing. She didn't dare avoid a second question. She had pushed him as far as she could for her first day of servitude. "Several times, Shikamaru-sama. I followed Orochimaru because he offered power, but those were the desires of a child. You…you offer safety. Freedom, even."

Shikamaru sighed heavily, slamming his face into his open palm. He held out his free hand for the chakra cuffs. "If you're going to be impossible, you might as well be useful. I'll put 'em on. Still don't trust you quite yet."

She handed them over obligingly. "You will soon learn to, I hope. You are the means to live away from the yoke of Orochimaru's will. I would gladly give my life for yours."

"Yeah. Right."

He clamped the manacle on one of his wrists and held the key and the other cuff in his other hand behind his back. Tayuya took up position, guiding him toward her contact.

It wasn't long before she noticed the mark on a nearby tree that signaled the meeting point.

A voice floated from the forest, deep, harsh, and intimidating. "Where is Okino?"

"He was killed fighting the kunoichi." Tayuya betrayed no emotion, not that she felt any for her former comrade's death. She had never liked the man, thinking him far too useless in anything other than a straight up fight. They were ninjas, for _kami's_ sake, not prizefighters.

"That is the third partner that's died under your command. I need you to safeguard our assets more, Tayuya."

A short, balding man stepped cautiously from his cover. He wore typical Otogakure robes and had the look of someone who dealt strictly with executive matters.

Tayuya turned away, crossing her arms over her chest. "You shouldn't send me out with such trash then."

"It is not my choice. Orochimaru-sama left me with strict orders in case of his death and I will carry them out to the letter." The man turned to Shikamaru, still staring impassively at her handler.

"Is this him?" the genius drawled, peering over his shoulder at her.

"Yes, Shikamaru-sama." It was out before she realized what she'd said. The man's eyes boggled briefly before being caught in Shikamaru's signature technique.

"Kage Mane: successful," he said, mostly to himself. "Be careful with that 'sama' stuff. This guy's weak though. I could hold him all day."

She stepped forward and placed the chakra cuffs on the contact.

"What's your name?" Shikamaru asked him. His only response was to spit at the teenager's feet.

_How dare you? _Tayuya punched him as hard as she could, sending him sprawling despite the jutsu that held him upright. He stood back up automatically, still caught in the Nara clan's magic.

Tayuya felt a chill run down her spine at how helpless he was in the jutsu, knowing that if she hadn't allowed Shikamaru to save her, it was where she would have inevitably ended up. The man was completely at Shikamaru's mercy.

"Come on," Shikamaru said, a smirk turning his lip upward. "We've got to get him back to Ino."

"You won't get a word out of me, boy," he said defiantly.

"We don't need to," Shikamaru replied casually. As if to prove it, he gestured to Tayuya. "Break his jaw."

"Gladly," the redhead said, mentally sifting through her options. Her foot would do nicely.

The contact's eyes opened wide. "You wouldn't dare! You need information from-"

And that was as far as he got before Tayuya's heel connected with his chin in a devastating side kick.

Sure enough, the crack of bone and his whimpering revealed that she had indeed broken his jaw with one blow. Tayuya smiled wickedly. She could get used to following the Nara's orders.

* * *

...

When Shikamaru arrived at the camp with a short bald guy slung over his shoulder, she was surprised. When he dropped him in the dirt roughly and he rolled over grunting and moaning, the surprise morphed into exasperation.

"You broke his jaw? We were supposed to get him to talk!"

The captured man mumbled something unintelligible and Tayuya kicked him roughly in the ribs.

"He said he wouldn't talk."

Rolling her eyes, she stepped back from him. "Give me five minutes."

Performing the hand seals quickly, she aimed at him through the lens her bent fingers created. "Shintenshen no jutsu!"

Pain exploded into her consciousness and she quickly separated herself from his nervous system and swatted his feeble attempt to eject her aside. She didn't need anything but his memories. Digging through them, she realized that everything she was looking for was hidden under layers of seals and barriers.

_Orochimaru…_

She began navigating through them as much as possible, using the techniques her clan had cultivated and her father had taught her to unlock the seals and circumvent barrier after barrier until finally, she uncovered some usable information.

Locking his mind away as best she could, she released the technique and her azure eyes snapped open.

She smiled up at Shikamaru, for once feeling useful. "If you haven't already guessed what I'm about to say, you're not going to believe this."

She sincerely hoped he hadn't, since that would make her feel significantly less useful. "This guy - Pyrra was his name - works for Orochimaru. He had a list of ten things to accomplish after Orochimaru died. He's not alone either; there's eight other people doing the same thing. They're basically a mini-army carrying out his last will and testament."

So far Shikamaru was listening intently and she plowed on ahead. "He and Tayuya have completed eight of the tasks but the ninth was killing you. The tenth, and get this, was to expose you in the land of Frost as being a Konoha nin after your death."

His eyes turned up sharply. A new development. Useful points for Ino! The man squirmed against his restraints, fighting against the idea of all his secrets being spilled into the open. It earned him another stomp from Tayuya. Ino wondered briefly what he had done to her to earn her continued abuse before focusing on her extracted memories.

"That's not all. He was instructing the 'bad man', who he knew as Goro, to evacuate the town beforehand. The Iwa nin weren't from Iwa at all. They were Orochimaru's own spies, planted there by another cell. The Iwa _hitai-ate_ were just to throw us off."

Shikamaru nodded slowly, his hand rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I thought that might be the case. What I don't understand is why is Orochimaru pulling all these strings after his own death? Is this some insurance policy to destroy Konoha after he's gone? And if so, why did he lure us to the Land of Frost? What is his objective?"

And Ino was officially lost. She didn't understand how the data had led Shikamaru to the conclusions he'd already made, so further extrapolation would simply confuse her. That, plus his habit of skipping two or three logical steps in his explanations, didn't help her at all. Ino didn't consider herself stupid. Quite the opposite; she showed off her above-average intelligence every chance she got. But in Team 10, Shikamaru was the thinker and she let her brain get complacent as he did the heavy mental lifting for her. Then she could ask questions and get easy answers.

But now, Shikamaru was on a tear. He stood quickly and dragged Pyrra into the woods where the children couldn't see him. Ino gulped, knowing he was about to kill the man and rushed after him.

"Shika-kun, shouldn't we leave him alive?"

He turned toward her, while extending a Kage Mane to the doomed man. "Did you get everything from him?"

"Yes, but-"

Tayuya cut her off. "You should be more trusting of Shikamaru-sama, girl."

_**Did she just call me girl? That ass-kissing traitor did not just talk down to us!**_

For once, she agreed with her inner self and Ino spun around to face the redhead. "Who asked you, bitch? I'm having a discussion with _my_ teammate!"

When she whirled back around, Shikamaru was glaring daggers at her. "I trust you," he said evenly. "But we need to leave now and we can't leave a body behind or any other trace that we were here. It's the only way I know to dispose of him cleanly."

His tone darkened and she felt the weight behind his words. He was serious now. No more lazy little boy would be found in his gaze. "Tayuya is a member of our team for now, and you two will treat each other with _respect_. Right now, we have about an hour head start on consequences I don't even want to fathom, not the least of which include our unavoidable death. I'd appreciate it if I had your full cooperation."

Ino nodded numbly, not having realized that Shikamaru could and would give her a complete dressing down. It was a strange feeling that he was her superior and even stranger to see him so deathly serious, but none of that could dull the ache in her heart.

She had been operating under his exclusive attention, which was new in that Shikamaru spared attention for something in the first place, but now it seemed that that was simply because of the circumstance. He couldn't possibly care about her beyond that.

"_Hai, taicho_," was all she could mumble.

"_Hai,_ Shikamaru-sama," Tayuya agreed.

"Good." And the man he was holding in Kage Mane began to sink into the forest floor, disappearing from the legs up until his balding head was no longer visible. He had literally sunk into Shikamaru's shadow!

Tayuya looked as if she had seen a ghost. Her face was unusually pallid, and her eyes were wide and fearful.

"Let's go. We need to pack up camp," their leader said, retracting his deadly shadow.

"Where are we going?" Ino replied. The eager expression on Tayuya's face betrayed that she was wondering the same thing, though far be it from her to question her new 'master.'

"We need to get to Shimogakure by sunrise tomorrow, kids and all."

Ino looked at him quizzically, wondering if she had heard him right, but she didn't have the heart to question him again. A shiver ran down her spine and she felt the inadequacy of her Ame rags for the first time since they had left the Fire Country.

_When did it get so cold?_ She wondered quietly.

* * *

...

Shikamaru nearly lost his balance as he hefted his travel pack. Pulling on his quickly depleting chakra reserves, he buoyed his legs and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. It had now been twenty eight hours since he last slept. Tayuya and Ino were each carrying one of the children and they leapt off into the night once more.

Their stops had been nothing more than meal breaks, or rather a chance to split the two remaining ration bars between them. Shikamaru wasn't one to find great pleasure or great distaste in many things, but he officially hated the Land of Frost. It was cold, it was hostile, it was hard to get into, and everyone he'd met so far save for two little kids had wanted him dead at some point in time.

And the biggest strike of all in his book was the simple fact that he had hardly slept since he'd arrived nearly two days ago. Seriously, any place that kept Shikamaru from sleeping needed to be burned to ashes, scattered and forgotten, and that went double if it was overcast.

But they were less than an hour away from the Shimogakure gates if his mental map was correct, and he was thankful that this was a minor country. A land like the Fire country or even the Rain Country, which was small by comparison, would have taken a full day's travel to arrive at the ninja village.

Ino had been mercifully silent most of the journey and Tayuya seemed stoic and determined to prove her worth, which was the only reason he kept her around. He supposed he could always order her to get lost, but he supposed the last time she'd gone off on her own, Orochimaru got his hands on her and she had nearly killed him. No, better that she be nearby where he could watch her.

They continued running until it was nearly dawn. The beginnings of his plan were starting to seem out of reach when they finally saw the village. A mountain was directly in their view; in fact, they were running up the base of it, heading to higher altitude. On its south face was the village itself. It was almost layered in the way it was arranged. The general public appeared to live at the lowest altitude and farthest south. The high metal gates wrapped around the front of the village with Shimo's snowflake-like symbol on the enormous entryway.

The second layer of the village was a ways away from the first, overlooking it from a small but sheer cliff. It was still within the gates, which appeared to have been built into the mountain itself. The final layer was at the highest elevation, significantly above the rest of Shimogakure. Unlike the second level, it was simply spaced out several hundred yards up the mountain and in a valley-like pass with cliffs rising over a hundred meters on either side. The city walls met the cliffs and disappeared into them, reappearing on the other side, higher and thicker than anywhere else as it closed the hidden village off from behind. That made sense, seeing as how it was situated on a mountain. An avalanche would have to be contained before it wiped out the entire village.

The third level was unique, however, since it consisted only of a single large building that reminded Shikamaru of the Hokage's manor. Reminding himself that the Land of Frost was ruled by a daimyo, Shikamaru halted their team.

"We walk from here," he said, taking a sleeping Hibiki from Ino's arms and carrying him. Ino looked grateful for the break, but there was something else that flashed behind her eyes. Shikamaru was too tired to analyze it, however, and they walked slowly up to the guards at the gates. _Four of them_, he thought, analyzing the situation. _All Chunin or better. We wouldn't be able to take them in this state_.

Thankfully they wouldn't need to. As they drew closer to the gate, Shikamaru noticed another group of travelers break from the woods. They moved swiftly and purposefully, and two of them wore the headbands of Shimogakure nin.

Shikamaru hurried his group up to the gate and the four Chunin guards. The leader of them stepped out. "Halt!" he said imperiously. "State your business."

"We're refugees from Amegakure," Shikamaru said, quickly pointing to himself, Ino, and Tayuya. Their bedraggled appearance did everything to reinforce that notion in the chunin's mind. "These two are survivors from the disaster this morning," he added, indicating the children.

"Disaster?" the Chunin said quizzically. "What disaster?"

_Three, two, one_, Shikamaru counted down in his head until the party behind him caught up. _And stage two, begin_.

"We bring important news from the border!" the leader of the group called out as he neared, ignoring the seemingly minor business of the weary travelers. _You can always count on ninjas to be rude to civilians_, Shikamaru thought drily. _Never thought I'd ever be glad it happened._

The Chunin looked at Shikamaru quickly, as if he was wondering if his disaster was the same as the news from the border. "A disaster?" the man asked.

"Yes! A village was destroyed late last night. There don't appear to be any survivors."

"Then who are these people?" the Chunin asked predictably.

Shikamaru smirked inside. It was always nice when a good plan came together. "We are refugees from Amegakure," he repeated to the new arrivals. "And these two children are the last remaining survivors of the disaster there. We were able to save them before they were killed."

The new arrival shook his head disbelievingly. "Liar! You would've had to shown up during the attack to do that. All of the corpses look about equally decomposed, which means they died at the same time."

"We did show up during the attack," Shikamaru said darkly. Ino nodded in agreement. "The children had been stabbed through and we rescued and healed them. We were shinobi in our homeland, and we saw who destroyed your village."

_And stage three_. Shikamaru's heart pounded now. This was the part of his plan that he had the most trouble with. There didn't appear to be any other solution to this particular problem, though, and he had spent more than fifteen minutes meditating on the possible consequences this could have. But in the end, it seemed to be the right move.

"You saw them?" the man asked quickly. "Who was it?"

Shikamaru opened his mouth and his voice failed him. He coughed to clear his throat, and then answered in a surprisingly even tone. "Konoha."

The chunin's reaction was immediate, and fortunately their own panic covered up Ino's. He could almost feel her questioning gaze burning into the back of his head. _Not now Ino. Trust me this time._

Thankfully, the kunoichi said nothing and the chunin who had arrived last thanked them and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Likely they had gone to report this development. _Good._ _Tell your daimyo. They need to follow my plan too. Orochimaru's schemes are over as of right now._

But deep down, Shikamaru was worried that he'd screwed up in a big way. He was tired, and that could affect his rationale. If he'd missed even the slightest detail, it could turn this plan on its head and completely destroy the fragile peace that so many had died for. If his small team failed to eliminate this Goro character, the plan was also doomed as well. There were almost too many variables to count.

_Damn it all... Baka Hokage sending me on this troublesome mission with this troublesome woman and these troublesome children… _

The other chunin looked over his and Ino's passports and looked expectantly for Tayuya's. If she had one, Shikamaru would be grateful. If she didn't... well, he'd thought of a good enough lie to cover for it.

"You don't have identification?" the guard asked suspiciously.

Before she could open her mouth and utter a 'Shikamaru-sama,' he spoke up. "She lost her pack in the fires yesterday. I'm really sorry, but there was no way to recover it."

The guard set his jaw, thinking it over. "I suppose not. Better that you recovered the children than some ID."

_Man, I'm good_.

The chunin finally stamped something on his and Ino's IDs and handed them back. "Enjoy your stay in Shimogakure. Report to the travel agency at noon and identify yourselves. We will have some questions to ask you."

_Uh-oh_. He hadn't seen this coming. He'd have to figure out what questions they were going to ask and feed them the proper bullshit. He could probably wing it when he got there and be fine though.

They pushed through the gates into the city and got their first glimpse of their temporary home through beleaguered eyes. At first glance, it appeared to be quiet and subdued, but Shikamaru quickly realized that this was because of the hour. The buildings were rather modern in construction - mostly brick, steel, and mortar - and bright colors and festive decorations lined the avenues. It was a rather large place by hidden village standards, and the cliff towering above them seemed positively enormous from within the gates.

Ino looked around curiously and Shikamaru wondered if she'd go exploring when they had some free time. She was that kind of girl, and he knew she'd definitely want to check out the shopping district. If he heard one more complaint about her 'rags' he'd go ballistic. Or just sigh heavily. Whichever one seemed easier at the moment.

They walked down the street until they found an inn not far from the village gates. Shikamaru angled straight there. He needed rest and this seemed as good as any place to stop. The five travelers stomped into the quaint wooden building marked simply "Inn" on the glowing neon sign outside, shaking the morning snow from their shoulders and packs.

The children were still asleep and Shikamaru set Hibiki down on one of the couches in the lobby. Tayuya followed suit with his sister, who had yet to wake up after Ino healed her.

The shadow user dragged his tired feet up to the counter where a smiling old lady was waiting patiently. She had her grey hair tied up in a simple bun and wore plain robes. Her only piece of ornamental clothing was a long blue scarf that trailed from her neck and disappeared under the desk.

"Welcome to Shimogakure's one and only travelers inn," she said sweetly, standing up from her chair. "You may call me Mizuru-san. What is your name, young man?"

"Nara Shikamaru," he said reflexively before he caught himself. _Dammit! I'm far too tired to keep this up. I need sleep._

"Nara Shikamaru," she repeated quietly, a faraway look on her face. "A fine name for a young one. I do like deer."

Shikamaru breathed a sigh of relief. If anyone recognized his clan's name, he was screwed. Royally.

"Right. This is Gakusha Ino and Sozoshii* Tayuya. The boy there is Hibiki, and we haven't yet found out his sister's name."

She wrote their names on the register. "And how long would you be staying?"

"Not long, I assume," he said quickly, hanging his head low. "We don't have much money."

It was a bold-faced lie. The Hokage had emptied an expense account of nearly a hundred thousand ryo and given it to him in cash before he left. He had hidden most of it in his Shogi board, but he produced a few coins from his pocket to reinforce the ruse.

"How long would this allow us to stay?"

The lady just smiled at him. "Young boy, money should not run this world as it does. I'll tell you a secret. We don't have much money either. This town isn't much for tourism." She chuckled heartily at the joke only she understood. Shikamaru glanced at Ino to see if she caught it, but the blonde only shrugged.

"So you'll need two rooms? Two beds for the boys and three for the ladies?"

Shikamaru wondered briefly if the woman was really being that generous or if she was as conniving as he was. She might already have pegged them as enemy nin and merely wanted to get them off guard to report that a Nara had shown up in their country.

"That would only get us one night's stay," Shikamaru said, looking at the few coins.

"I know! I've got plans for you whipper-snappers! Chokichi!" she called out. A grunt answered her and she shuffled around the corner and out of sight. They all waited for a brief second before…

WHACK!

"Wake up you lazy bum! We have customers!"

Shikamaru's eyes got wide and Ino giggled. Tayuya merely stared at the room she'd disappeared to with a surprised expression.

Hibiki rolled awake and leveled a glare at Shikamaru. "You're mean, Pineapple Man!"

"Shush," Ino said, putting her finger to her lips. "You can beat him up later."

Shikamaru shot her a glare that she returned with a mutinous smirk.

Right at that moment, Mizuki returned with a man even older and grayer than she.

"Oh, look!" he said, pointing at the four conscious members of the troupe. "Customers, Mizuki-chan!"

If the woman's eyes had been visible behind their lids, they would have seen them attempting to fry the old geezer in his socks.

"Welcome to Shimogakure's one and only-"

"I've said that already, you senile old fart! Just take the money and get the keys. Rooms one and two." Mizuki definitely seemed to be rather aggressive, contrasting the easygoing smile she'd shown Shikamaru earlier. "Now, you all are going to pay for the rest of your stay with hard work! This old place is in needs some sprucin' up!"

"You could use some sprucing up of your own," Ino muttered under her breath.

_What did I get myself into?_ Shikamaru thought quietly as he took the keys from the man. Chokichi smiled broadly as he turned away. "Welcome to Shimogakure's one and only- OUCH!"

A smirk crossed Shikamaru's lips as he led Hibiki upstairs to room one. The two beds looked neat and untouched, if a little old, and he immediately began sweeping the room for listening devices. The boy looked at him from the doorway with his arms crossed aggressively.

He stood like that for several minutes as Shikamaru checked under drawers and between both mattresses and the bed frames and everywhere else he could think of.

"You're panaroid, Pineapple Man," the boy surmised by the time Shikamaru sat down.

"That's paranoid," Shikamaru replied, finally satisfied that the room was bug-free. "And my name is Shikamaru."

"I know, But your hair looks like a pineapple. So you're Pineapple man." He said this as if the logic was so simple yet profound it had to be explained in detail. "That's why the bad man is 'Bad Man' and oto-san was 'Nice Man' and-"

"I get it, kid," Shikamaru replied, curling up on the bed and setting his watch to wake him in five hours. _Kami, I can't catch a break_. _This is my last S-rank mission. Ever._

"Are you going to sleep?"

"SHUT UP!"

* * *

...

The blonde kunoichi woke up suddenly, sitting bolt upright in the bed. In the bed to her left near the window, Hibiki's sister still slept peacefully, the afternoon sun shining down on her. On her right, Tayuya sat on the opposite end of her own bed, staring out of the open door. A kunai was in her hand, held along her forearm to hide it from view.

Ino immediately forgot about the Nara-themed dream she'd been having and swung her feet to the window side of her bed. She checked the girl's vitals for the millionth time; strong heartbeat, steady breathing, and normal chakra flow. Even her broken arm was healing unnaturally quickly.

Why was she still asleep? It was an anomaly, and Ino was about ready to declare her comatose. Putting that mystery out of mind, she turned to the other mystery sitting near the door. She looked at her suspiciously. The Oto-nin hadn't moved a muscle since Ino had woken up.

"Are you awake?" Ino asked, not letting a hint of concern creep into her voice. She didn't trust the redhead at all, though if her goal was to kill either of them, she'd had plenty of opportunities thus far.

"Shikamaru-sama ordered me to keep you safe while he dealt with the official business. As… _distasteful_ as that is to me, I won't fail him."

Ino felt her lips curling in her own version of distaste. "You slimy little-"

She didn't finish the sentence. Shikamaru staggered up the stairs and into view, looking more like a zombie than before, if that were possible. His eyelids drooped low, and he walked with a shuffling gait that was not like him at all. He even had a line of stubble making its way down his chin. Ino cocked an eyebrow appreciatively. If he were a bit more composed, instead of having his hair sticking out everywhere, it might have been…attractive.

But the fact that he did look so disheveled let her know just how on edge he really was. She knew, from experience, that he hated looking like he wasn't in complete control of himself to the point of fixing his hair after a serious fight left it messy.

She took his arm and guided him to his own bed in the next room.

"Thanks, Ino," he mumbled sleepily as he pushed roughly past Hibiki. The two didn't seem to be getting along well, as the boy didn't exactly step out of his way. The child dashed into the girl's room to be by his sister's side, leaving the mess he had made playing for hours behind.

Ino finally navigated past all the junk scattered around and helped Shikamaru under the blanket. His eyes were closed as soon as they hit the pillow, but he wasn't quite asleep yet.

"We need to rest up," he said, reaching into his pocket and producing a rather impressive pile of money. "Take this and buy clothes and supplies from the market. We need soldier pills, food-" he seemed to think for a second about what he was saying, "-a lot of food, and medicine, as well as blank paper tags and a lot of magnesium and cigarette lighters."

Ino nodded, committing the list to memory. "Got it."

He smiled. "Thanks Ino. You're really reliable, you know that? Even Asuma said so."

She felt a surge of emotion at the mention of their sensei, but she wasn't quite sure what it was. Pride? Sadness? Regret? All three?

Shikamaru had fallen asleep in the time it took those thoughts to formulate in her head and she stared down at him. He had been working himself raw these last few days, and she still had no clue what his overall plan was. They were far too deep in hostile territory to disobey him now, as the slightest slip up could send everything crashing down. Her father's words about trusting his intuition swam through her mind.

_**Didn't he tell the innkeeper his real name? His 'Nara Intuition', huh?**_

_Che…yeah. 'Nara Intuition' my ass. He's working like a dog and it's getting to him._

Her subconscious had no rebuttal for this and fell silent. _What happened to that lazy, stubborn little boy? Why are you putting yourself through this, Shika-kun? _

Her hand found its way to his stubble, brushing the fine hairs gently as he slept. She had to make herself as useful as possible to take some of the load off of him. Of that much she was certain. She stood to go to the market and turned only to see Tayuya in the doorway, looking at her with her shoulders set forward and the kunai in her hand.

Ino's heart pounded hard as she took in the sight. _Was she about to kill me? No.._. Their eyes met and Ino saw something curious flash through them before the woman turned and stormed away. Her pink lips parted slowly as she took in a surprised breath. _Did she just_…_Was that…jealousy?_

* * *

_A/N: Holy hand grenades, batman! people DO read the authors notes! thanks to all who have favorited and reviewed! You guys are what keeps me writing!_

_There are a few formatting changes, most notably the lack of perspective markers. Let me know if it makes it easier or harder to read. _

_Updates will be coming as quickly as Renting can beta them cause i've already finished several more chapters. Hope you enjoyed! until next time: Paperazzi out._

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	6. Hidden Feelings

**Chapter 6**

**Hidden Feelings**

The current Hokage sat in her office, her normally towering stack of paperwork mercifully small. The week hadn't garnered many missions, and as such her responsibilities had lightened significantly. She yawned loudly as she stamped her approval on the last page of the day and turned to the spiky- haired blonde next to her.

"And these, Naruto, will be your responsibility as well. Everything the Interrogation and Detention unit does passes through Ibiki right now, and he's pretty reliable, but you will need to know how to manage them also."

It was her second day of training with Naruto. He had been called into her office after her fight last week with the advisors on a special notice from her. She'd promoted him to Jonin on the spot, even though he had missed the last five Chunin exams. She didn't care. The boy was leagues more powerful than her by now, and everyone knew it. She suspected that half the reason there had been such a prolonged peace between the great nations was because everyone but the Cloud was terrified of the Nine-Tails' jinchuuriki.

So after the advisors had gotten on her nerves about the mission to Shimo, she'd called Naruto up and announced that she was tired of being Hokage. Being as dense as he was, he naturally had no idea why she'd tell him that.

"_Isn't this the kind of stuff you'd tell Shizune in a bar or something?" he asked._

_It took all of her composure not to beat the snot-nosed brat's face in right then and there. _

"_No, Naruto," she replied, the veins in her forehead bulging. "It isn't that at all. It's the kind of thing you tell the obtuse little punk you want to replace you."_

"_Really? I'd love to be that guy! He gets to be the next Hokage! I kinda wanted to be the next Hokage, but I guess I'm still pretty young. And I just made Jonin, so I should be happy right?"_

_The boy couldn't catch a hint with a tiger pit._

"_No, Naruto, YOU are going to be the next Hokage. Shizune's already printing up the paperwork. Except I have to teach you what to do, or you'll be completely lost like I was when you dragged me here."_

_But he didn't seem to hear anything she'd said after her first sentence. _

"_You mean you're about to…to make me…Hokage?" He looked as if his excitement would explode forcibly from within him and she'd be cleaning Kyuubi guts from her walls._

"_Yes, Naruto. But keep it quiet, because if anybody finds out, they could target you for-" She looked up at him to find him staring at his hands with a dumbfounded look. _

"_Are you listening?"_

_He disappeared, leaving her room in an instant of a body flicker that she barely caught as he flew out the window. She could hear him all the way from her office as he hit the main street._

"_GUESS WHAT GUYS! I'M GONNA BE THE SIXTH HOKAGE! BAA-CHAN JUST TOLD ME! SHE'S GONNA MAKE ME HOKAGE! IT'S REALLY HAPPENING-"_

_His shouts carried on for the next several minutes as he told everyone who would stop and listen. She smiled to herself, leaning against the window frame with her arms folded, realizing that every single villager stopped to congratulate him. He really had changed this place for the better, and she couldn't think of anyone who loved the village more._

But that hadn't stopped the elders from slamming through her door ten minutes later, crying foul.

Those old hags had been irate. They had finally gotten her 'broken in', as they called it, and she named Naruto her successor?

But Tsunade had ignored them, noting that her only official responsibility remaining was to teach Naruto the administrative aspect of the position. Once a Hokage named their successor, they were off the leash essentially. That was one week ago. She wanted to start his training that day, but it took him two days to get over his excitement and another two days to travel to Suna and back to brag to Gaara (who promptly pointed out that he'd reached Kazekage two years ago).

Within the week, the entire Fire country was talking about the Godaime stepping down to Naruto, and a half dozen assassination attempts were made on his life. As such, two ANBU units had been tasked with his protection 24/7. She didn't need to worry though. Like anyone could kill _him_. It had taken the Nine Tails to kill his father, and now he had that particular threat locked safely inside his own body.

So as they went over his duties, Tsunade was terribly surprised when Shizune ushered in Koharu and Homura amid a flurry of apologies.

"It's alright, Shizune," Tsunade said calmly. Letting go of this job was the best thing that was ever going to happen to her and not even these two old geezers could ruin it for her.

"Tsunade-hime," the man spoke first, referring to her as Hashirama's granddaughter for the first time in years. "We would like to apologize to you for our mistrust."

Tsunade and Shizune dropped what they were holding at the exact same moment. Of course, in Tsunade's case, it was a stamp instead of a live piglet, but who cared? Tonton had seen worse. The council elders were _apologizing_.

"Tobirama-sensei was much more aggressive than Hiruzen-chan," Koharu continued. "And you have followed your teacher's philosophies to the letter, as has Naruto-kun. It would be disrespect to his memory to oppose his student now."

Were Tsunade's eyes deceiving her? Did Koharu actually look…regretful?

"So we will do what we have failed to do before, and what you have been telling everyone in the village to do time and time again. We will trust Naruto and his generation. It is clear the Will of Fire has been passed on."

Naruto stood suddenly, his chair scraping across the wooden floor. He looked at the two elders standing before him and his appreciation ran in obvious rivers down his cheeks. "Koharu-san, Homura-san… thank you! I won't let you down!"

Homura nodded to him. "We believe it, Naruto-kun. And after your appointment we will serve you as best we can."

Naruto nodded quickly, wiping the tears from his eyes as the two shuffled out. Tsunade ruffled his hair as he sat like Jiraiya used to do and he smiled his infectious grin at her. "Back to it, Tsunade! I can make shadow clones to learn faster, and that way you can appoint me officially tomorrow!"

"Can it, super boy," she said, swatting away his hand seal. "I can't _teach _all your shadow clones at once. How many can you make anyway?"

"Kakashi-sensei has been teaching me chakra control, and I don't use as much on each clone as I used to, so I'm up to five hundred I think."

Tsunade was stupefied. "Five hundred? I'm Hokage and I'm lucky if I can hit thirty!"

"You're old, though, _Baa-chan_! If you were as young as you looked I'm sure you could do it!"

The woman smiled at his enthusiasm but shook her head. "Sorry, Naruto, I wasn't the most powerful ninja on the face of the earth at eighteen like you."

"No way! Do you really think that's who I am?"

"Only if you don't go yelling it down the street again."

He leapt up from his seat and wrapped her in a bear hug just as the door slid open once again.

Shizune bowed low. "Tsunade-sama, the Kazekage has come to see you."

Both the current and future Hokage turned to see the red-headed man step through the door.

"Gaara?" Naruto said quietly, taken aback by the stern expression his friend was wearing.

"What brings you here?" Tsunade asked with her composure restored.

Gaara shooed Shizune from the room and came closer to the great oak desk. "I heard about your mission in Shimogakure."

Tsunade's eyes snapped open and she rocked back in her seat. "Shikamaru!" she growled. "As soon as I give him a little leeway, he goes and does whatever he wants!"

"What did the elders just say about trusting our generation?" Naruto asked wryly. "I guess that's out the window, huh baa-chan?"

But Tsunade ignored him. "Go ahead, Gaara."

The Kazekage nodded. "Your team has essentially declared war, Tsunade-san."

"What?"

"I take it you didn't sanction their actions?"

Naruto looked puzzled. "Wait, what's going on?"

"I gave Shikamaru full discretion, but I didn't think he'd do something as drastic as… Wait, what exactly did he do?"

"Destroyed a village near the border," Gaara said quickly. "We received a bird from the Frost Daimyo yesterday attempting to coerce me into in attacking Konoha."

"Shikamaru did what?" yelled Shikaku Nara, bursting through the door. Apparently he'd been listening in to the entire conversation.

"Inoichi, you get in here too," Tsunade called into the hall, noting that if one of the terrible two some was there, the other wouldn't be far behind.

The Yamanaka entered, head held low. "Sorry for not telling you, Shikaku. But Shikamaru-kun didn't do that."

Gaara turned around quizzically. "The note from Shimogakure said explicitly that two Amegakure ronin reported eyewitness contact. They saw him do it."

Inoichi bowed respectfully to Gaara before telling him that he was mistaken. Shikamaru _was_ the Amegakure Ronin.

Shikaku was the first one to figure it out. "Shikamaru blamed us for the village's destruction?"

Tsunade wondered how Shikaku found out that they were disguised as Ame-nin, but reasoned that the culprit was probably the one of the two blondes in the room not named Naruto.

"Inoichi, I'll need you to stop giving classified mission data out. Even to Shikaku."

"Yes, ma'am."

"And Gaara-san, I'm sorry for this misunderstanding. Our team was sent in to get information on an Akatsuki link within the Frost country's borders. You know how tightly they keep themselves under wraps. They were barely able to be evacuated in time for the war."

"The mission must have gone horribly wrong for Shikamaru to change the plan like this, but why would he knowingly implicate Konoha?"

"I might know the answer to that," Shikaku said quietly.

"Please explain," Gaara said, turning to the strategist.

"It's a tactic in Shogi. If one of your pieces is trapped behind enemy lines in a position it won't win, you sacrifice a smaller piece standing in the way to open a path for reinforcements. It's a double edged sword, though. That piece you sacrifice often ends up opening a path for your enemy to gut you from the inside out."

The tension in the room was almost visible. No shinobi wanted to be gutted. Naruto gulped loudly. "How to we prevent ourselves from getting invaded?"

Shikaku sighed. "Normally, the quicker you send reinforcements, the less time the enemy has to destroy you, but that answer doesn't fit this situation. Rushing troops in won't solve a thing. They'll just assume we're coming in to finish them off. Shikamaru has thought this through."

"Why don't we send reinforcements they won't expect?" Gaara suggested.

Naruto's eyes lit up, following his fellow Jinchuuriki's train of thought. "That's brilliant, Gaara!"

Tsunade sighed, realizing exactly how long overdue her retirement was. "What is brilliant, Naruto? Explain."

"I use this tactic with my kage bunshin sometimes, especially if the enemy is using clones too! I'll dispel one of their clones and henge myself into their clone's form, taking its place. It makes them think they have an ally, but really it's my own reinforcements!"

Shikaku smiled at the boy. "That really is a brilliant tactic, Naruto. I understand. Send reinforcements to him under the guise that the Kazekage is agreeing to Shimogakure's terms. Someone predictable and reliable who Shikamaru is familiar with."

Gaara smiled. Or rather, he looked less stern for a few moments. That was as close as he ever came to smiling. "It's settled. I will send Temari."

Shikaku frowned at this, however. "From what he tells me, Temari's headstrong. Are you sure she'll be able to follow his plan? I think he's trusting us to send the right personnel since if he had someone in mind, he would simply have Ino tell us."

Inoichi shook his head. "Telepathy over these distances is an extremely chakra-heavy endeavor, not to mention extremely tiring. If they are inside of Shimogakure with all their chakra sensing ninja, he'd want to mitigate the risk of them getting caught. Temari is the most logical choice to work with Shikamaru, and I think he'd want us to be predictable. If we go changing the plan now, the boy won't account for that."

Naruto shook his head. "You guys are losing me. Shikamaru's smart. He's probably planned for you guys to figure out and change his plan. Just send Temari. She likes him anyway, right?"

Inoichi fidgeted with his collar. All of them respected Naruto's judgment, but it was a stretch to listen to him on delicate matters of international stability.

Tsunade cleared the matter up. "Well, listen to your future Hokage! You might as well start now. I'm basically a lame-duck at this point."

Shikaku nodded, silently praying for his son. "Temari it is. Thank you Naruto-kun."

* * *

...

The last five days had passed in a blur. Shikamaru had finally gotten a few nights of sleep. Ino could hardly keep up with everything that was going on. But most notably, Hibiki's sister had finally woken up. She couldn't have been more different from her headstrong brother. She was quiet, reserved, and hardworking, helping the rest of them to clean and refurbish the dilapidated inn to pay for their extended stay.

Ino watched the girl sitting near Shikamaru, peeking in on their work through his half opened door with a slight smile decorating her lips.

"Hikari," Shikamaru called, holding out a line of wire. "Hold this, will you?"

The small blonde girl leapt up and grabbed the end of the wire as Shikamaru strung exploding tag after exploding tag on it until the papers were packed as tightly as he dared. He took the other end with a word of thanks and placed the tags into a drawer before getting to work on more flash bombs. Ino had brought him a huge bag of powdered magnesium and a hundred pack of cigarette lighters. She still didn't think he remembered the moment he'd asked her for the stuff, but it didn't matter. He had spent the latter half of the past week making use of the tools she'd acquired.

The group had been splitting their time between preparations for their upcoming confrontation and searching for their target, with Ino, Shikamaru, or Tayuya searching for Goro in the streets at any time - day or night. So far they had very little luck, but it was well within Shikamaru's acceptable time frame. He'd allotted them two weeks for their search, figuring that by the end of it his father would figure out that he was asking for reinforcements.

She wished they'd be able to send a tracker like Kiba, or even Kakashi, but the Inuzuka clan's and Kakashi's ninja dogs were far too obvious and far too easy to trace to Konoha. The only other way to find the man was from the inside out. He told them his ploy at the gates would send them scrambling to ask for reinforcements and if they were lucky, they would include Gaara and Sunagakure in their pleas.

Ino walked in on his bomb making and sat beside Hikari. The girl instantly perked up, looking to do something more interesting than string paper on a wire.

"Hey, Kaa-chan! Are you done searching? Can we play?"

The kunoichi smiled softly at the girl. She was shy around everyone except Ino, who she continuously referred to as her mother, though she wouldn't explain why. Her behavior reinforced Hibiki's and he began calling her Kaa-chan as well, though he was a little more subdued.

Ino shook her head gently, a devious grin spreading across her face. "Not now. I have to talk to the Pineapple Man."

Shikamaru groaned. "Not you too?"

Ino made a face at him and shooed Hikari outside, shutting the door behind her. She strode back over, the purple scarf she had taken to wearing flowing behind her heavy robes. She yanked off the cloak while somehow keeping the scarf unruffled, revealing her new favorite oufit: a green and grey striped blouse that was cut in the same style as her favorite purple ones back home, a wrapping of bandages to cover her stomach, and loose fitting, khaki cargo pants she had tied just past her knee.

"I have news," she said shortly.

He stopped paying attention to the image he was pretending not to have of her in his head, and both of them got serious as she sat back down.

"What is it?" Shikamaru asked, his pulse quickening. He was nervous. She could see it in the single twitch of his eyebrow and in the way his lips were pressed just a tiny bit thinner than usual.

"Word is the Suna ambassador is here. They're on their way directly from the border as we speak. Whoever they sent to us should arrive tonight."

Shikamaru contemplated this. "They figured out my code a little early. She'll want to see us. Tell them that she needs to speak with the Ame-ronin. They'll send her to the office and I'll meet her there."

_She? _Shikamaru hadn't explained who he thought the Suna ambassador might be, but from his obvious knowledge of her itinerary and the way he averted his eyes from her as he said it, she could guess exactly who it would be. For reasons she couldn't explain, the thought of Temari coming here upset her more than it ever had before.

She thought back to that embarrassing moment a week ago when Tayuya had come in on her quiet admiration of him while he was sleeping. She didn't want to be that girl on the outside with him, and as open as he was right now, she would be damned if she would let that she-wolf get near him.

"You're doing it again," Ino interrupted him, suddenly testy. "Plan quietly, Shika-kun. They still might be listening."

He blinked, snapping back to reality. "Thanks," he mumbled quietly. Then his eyes snapped open. "Oh, crap."

"Crap is bad," Ino said. "What's wrong?"

"The people! I didn't anticipate rumors and gossip turning the populace against Konoha. Stupid! How could I have missed that?"

Ino put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and was surprised when he didn't flinch away. "You're under a lot of pressure, Shika-kun. You can't possibly think of everything. I know your plan is good. You wanna know how? Cause you've told it to me, and I wouldn't have been able to think of it if I had a thousand years."

He mentally laughed at her honesty. She _did_ have a long history of coming up with bad plans, and she knew it.

She sniffed loudly, trying to get his attention. "Don't laugh at me! I was being nice!"

"You were," he admitted. "But I wasn't laughing."

"Yes, you were. And now you're lying." Ino stepped over to him and stood over him. Putting her index finger in the center of his forehead, she pushed his head back until he was craning his neck up at her and she bent down until their noses almost touched.

Her heart began to pound, but she'd made up her mind. Tayuya wasn't getting any of him. She was Ino Yamanaka, the most beautiful kunoichi of her generation! Not even brick walls were beyond her seductive prowess!

So why, when she wasn't nearly as close as she had been to dozens of other guys, did her breath stop short when she met his dark eyes?

He felt his breath hitch from about a mile away. He wasn't in his body anymore. He couldn't be. This wasn't reality. It was a dream, or a genjutsu, or…_something_! But the pressure from her finger on his forehead was real. He was less than an inch away from the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on, and she had a look in her eyes that was…

"You can't lie to me, Shikamaru Nara," she purred, interrupting his train of thought in mid-sentence. It wasn't a polite interruption either; more like yanking the bridge out from underneath it as it chugged along a thousand feet above sea level.

Which reminded him; he'd never found out if Konoha was below sea level. But that was irrelevant at the moment as he stared into her eyes. The bright blue of her eyes had captured him again, and the world's details began to fade away.

_No, Shikamaru, control yourself! You cannot lose control over Ino of all people!_

But she yanked on his train tracks once more when she opened her mouth a second time. Her lips were literally inches from his. "You can't lie because I've been studying you since we were little, Shikamaru. When you laugh, you smirk right-" she took her index finger from his forehead and poked him on the right corner of his mouth, "-there."

And then it was over. She backed away as quickly as she'd come.

He realized he wasn't breathing normally, and he hurried to stabilize himself. Looking up at Ino, he now saw something he'd never seen before. She paid attention to him with an eye for detail no one else even wanted to match. He was amazed that their friendship had survived her little display. If he'd gone with what his raging male hormones wanted him to do, he would have deflowered her right then and there.

_Come on, who am I kidding? Do I really think she's still untouched?_

He banished that thought as he did every time it came up. _Like it matters_, his hormones argued. He still would have taken her.

But Ino herself looked a bit odd, like she didn't know what had come over her. She tried to play it off, but failed miserably. She was just standing there, looking unsure and delicate. Seeing that expression on Ino, the most self-assured person he'd ever known… it was kind of a big deal. He looked at her again. He suddenly wasn't quite sure where they were or why, but it didn't matter. She was there, and that demure look was something _he_ could make her do and no one else.

He stood slowly, knowing he had to look absolutely dumbfounded at the moment. But he didn't care. His body raged at him to _do something_ while the going was good. And he, for once, let go of his composure and his legendary self-control. He stepped closer, and she didn't back away. He reached out to touch her arm, and she didn't flinch.

She looked up at him expectantly, almost as if she were waiting for the moment when…

Ever impatient, Ino lurched forward the last few inches, pressing her soft lips to his. His first reaction was surprise, but he didn't dare move away. His second was to sing the hallelujah chorus until the day he died. His third (he_ always_ went with his third mind)… his third was to kiss her back.

Her lips were soft. That was the first thing he noticed. Not like other girls, where it was softer than kissing a hand or a mirror, but soft like a marshmallow; a tiny, mouth-shaped marshmallow that was all his at that very moment. He pressed harder and his hands moved to her shoulders, but no sooner had he started to do so when she pulled back, a frightened look on her face. She looked at his confused expression, tears welling in her distraught eyes.

"I can't do this, Shikamaru! Not now! Not with you!"

She slammed her balled fist into his chest, winding him before she turned and dashed out of the room, her face buried in her hands.

Just like that, Shikamaru was left in silence, helpless to stop the battle raging in his mind.

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_A/N: So updates pretty much back to back this weekend! Lucky you guys! My muse is still feeding me so you'll get more and more as time goes on! Thanks for reading! Paperazzi 0uT_

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	7. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

_SOOO...thanks again and UNLIMITED COOKIES to my wonderful beta Renting! She's working overtime to edit all these chapters so i can get them out to you! I've already sent her what'll end up as chapter 9, so more updates for you guys! Not much more to say than i hope you enjoy! R&R!_

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**One Step Forward, Two Steps Back**

Temari strutted through the village gates, pulling her cloak tight about her shoulders. The chill was getting to her after only a day of being in this godforsaken snowball of a country. She was about as far from the desert as a girl could get, but a job was a job, and it wasn't every day she got to see Shikamaru in action.

She smiled at the prospect of hanging out with the cheeky bastard. He was fun to poke around if nothing else. Much more fun than her stick-up-the-ass brothers, anyway.

"Madam ambassador," a jonin said to her, his eyes hidden by tinted goggles. "If you would follow me, the Korikage is awaiting you."

Temari's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Korikage?" she repeated. "As in kage bunshin or as in Kazekage?"

But she already knew the answer. These uppity little fucks had gone and named a Kage without _anybody's _approval! And they had the nerve to break the naming convention as well! Though she could understand that Shimokage didn't sound quite as intimidating, breaking the naming convention was, like, sacrilege or something! Besides, the first time she heard the word Tsuchikage, she thought someone was talking about a particularly mean teddy bear.

"The Korikage is awaiting you," he repeated, obviously unsure of how to answer the brash woman.

She waved him off. "I'll find my own way. Lets see…hmm…is it that giant house all the way at the top of the mountain?"

He moved to protest, but Temari pulled back her hood a bit and flashed him her most sultry smile. "Besides, you don't want to escort me now. You want to escort me home, right?"

His nose began to dribble bright red guilt. She smirked and trudged off down the snow-encrusted pavement.

She passed a lot of bright and vibrant shops that would have been quite interesting to peek into a few hours ago. But now, after nightfall, she had few options for entertainment. Among the pastel colors and bright lights, she noted a small, rather run-down shack with the word "Inn" written in quaint kanji on the sign.

She scoffed at the place. "I wonder who would live in _that_ rat hole?"

"That is the village inn. You will be lodging at the ambassador's tower, madam." The jonin, having recovered his wits, had caught up to her as she power-walked down the street.

"You mean this is the village's only tourist stop?"

"Yes. Our village does very little business by way of tourism. Most of our visits are official in nature and, like your own, they stay in the ambassador's tower."

She looked curiously at the single light on in an upstairs window. _You couldn't have made it any easier for me to find you, huh Shikamaru?_

"I want to stay here," she declared.

"Madam, this inn is hardly the accommodation that someone of your status-"

"I've made up my mind," she said firmly, marching down the street again.

"But Madam Ambassador, I really must insist you-"

She ignored his protests for nearly a half mile before he finally gave up and trudged after her with his head hung. He clearly expected a dressing down for his failure to get her to cooperate, although to be fair, not many people could get her to go along with _anything_.

It was a long walk all the way to the Korikage's mansion, and Temari was extremely grumpy and upset that she hadn't worn higher cut boots.

"There's fucking snow everywhere! I live in the desert, dammit! It's cold all in my boots and I _really_ don't like the freaking cold!"

"Ma'am, it _is _the Land of Frost. We apologize. It was to our understanding that you would adjust your dress code accordingly-"

"I did adjust!" she yelled as she stomped higher up the mountain, cutting him off for the hundredth time. "You see I'm wearing this giant freaking cloak! I can't wait to get this shit _off_!"

The jonin's nose went bright red at this as he struggled to keep his thoughts gentlemanly.

"Oh, toughen up," Temari said with a scowl as they finally reached plowed ground and approached the door. It was a large arched entryway with the Korikage's seal on both of the grand antechamber's outer walls. The large red doors were pulled open from inside and Temari stomped inside, her wet boots squelching loudly on the polished marble.

"Okay, so where is this guy? I'm supposed to be talking to him, right?"

"The Korikage has been informed of your arrival. He will be meeting you shortly."

The jonin disappeared, hurrying away from the obstinate woman as fast as his chakra-enhanced legs would propel him. He didn't envy whoever would be telling her she definitely would _not_ be allowed to stay at the run down inn.

Temari yanked off her cloak, revealing her normal battle attire of a light purple kimono cut to the only battle-comfortable conditions she could think of (which was nearly non-existent), an equally short pair of comfortable shorts, and fishnet stockings all over. She also yanked off her boots, preferring to let her cold feet go bare than leave them soaking in her desert–made shoes. As soon as her right foot hit the tile, however, she grimaced. It was even colder than her boots!

"Don't you guys have air conditioning in this place?" she called to a passing maidservant. The woman just bowed respectfully and backed away before continuing on.

Temari was standing with one shoe off and her bare foot hovering delicately above the ground, debating between the cold tile and the wet boot when the Korikage finally approached her. He was a large man, almost unnaturally tall but not as broad as the Raikage. He wore a Kage's long white robes, but without the ornamental hat. His skin was almost unnaturally pale, though he wasn't quite as pallid as a Hyuga, and he had dark, piercing eyes. If Temari was honest with herself, she'd say he looked sort of like a white tiger, all lithe and deadly and larger than he had any right to be.

"Korikage-sama," she said, bowing respectfully and deciding it'd probably serve her well to put her other shoe on. She wasn't the ambassador because she was the best mannered Kunoichi in Suna, but she knew when to show respect.

"Cherished ambassador," he replied. "We welcome you to our humble village and hope your journey has been as pleasant as your stay is sure to be." His voice was surprisingly warm and kind for such an intimidating man. She'd half expected him to roar at her when he opened his mouth.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Korikage-sama, but I was born and raised in the desert. I would much like to get out of the cold."

He smiled invitingly and gestured for her to follow him. He seemed perfectly polite to a fault, and she felt her guard drop just a tiny bit. Maybe that was all it took to be a Kage in a small country, because for as ferocious as he looked, it seemed like Gaara would make mincemeat of this guy.

He led her away to a small banquet room with mercifully carpeted floor and comfortable looking leather couches arranged around a small tea table. She immediately removed her wet shoes, forgoing decorum for comfort. She was the guest of honor and they were supposed to be inviting the Sand to wage war for them. She figured she had a bit of pull here.

One of the housekeepers immediately dashed from an unseen passageway and snatched up her boots before disappearing again.

_Okay, creepy_…

But her attention went back on the Korikage as he gently cleared his throat.

"Honored guest, have you brought official word from your Kage?"

Temari smiled ruefully. "I wish politics were that easy. I feel safe telling you he sent me on as much of a fact finding mission as much as to sign a treaty."

The Korikage nodded, understanding. "Well, we will be completely transparent in your dealings. We here in the Land of Frost have nothing to hide. Konoha has attacked us unabashedly, and we have firsthand evidence and eyewitness accounts."

"You know I will need to see this evidence for myself. Suna is technically still allied with Konoha, and it wouldn't be within my power to make that decision before I get my hands on your reasoning."

The man nodded his acquiescence and motioned to a servant. The man bowed out of the room only to return a moment later with an airtight glass container. Inside were three items. Two of them were Konoha hitai-ate, scratched, slashed, and burned, but still easily recognizable. The ninja who had worn them would have been quite experienced.

The third was a scrap of paper.

"What is that?" she asked quickly, pointing at it.

"It is a note that we found at a campsite they used. We think it's a code of some sort that we cannot decode. It references their deity or religion, the 'Will of Fire'."

Curiosity overtaking her, Temari reached out toward it. "May I read it?" If it really was from Konoha, it would have to be Shikamaru's note, since his was the only Konoha team in the country.

The Korikage fetched it from within the case and handed the scrap of paper to her. She opened the tiny page with trembling fingers. Only three sentences were written inside, and sure enough she instantly recognized Shikamaru's messy scrawl.

_The white snake's plans will not succeed._

_The Will of Fire burns strong within us._

_Long live Konoha._

Temari folded it up, instantly understanding the message. It was clever; she had to hand it to the little prick. There was no code or key to reading it. He wrote exactly what he wanted to say, but you'd have to know him personally to know what he meant.

He'd mentioned Orochimaru. Somehow that bastard was still pulling strings long after his death. He said his plans would not succeed. Basically, that implied that the bastard still had plans going on, and Orochimaru's plans always had the same damn objectives: gain immortality, and destroy Konoha. A two-track mind if there ever was one. So the snake had something gunning for Shikamaru's hometown?

"Do you understand it?"

She jerked upward, looking at the Korikage. "One line I get perfectly," she half-lied. "The Will of Fire basically means that he's working in the interests of his village."

"Thank you for that insight. It is, however, well beyond midnight. My guests are treated to the best we have to offer and your stay at the embassy will be quite well accommodated."

However, one thing about the note bugged her, and she committed it to memory before handing it back. At the last Chuunin exam, they'd left clues for the genin to decode as part of the exam, and one of them had been a puzzle three sentences long that was supposed to divulge the objective's location. The first lines held meaning, but only in the first letters of the third line held the true location. But 'LLK'? What could that possibly mean?

The man stood as his servant brought a fresh pair of boots out to Temari. They looked rather well made and expensive if the soft fur that covered the inside was any indication.

"Korikage-sama, your appointment is to begin shortly. Your guest has arrived."

The shinobi nodded to the manservant. He ushered in a rather imposing man, all muscle and glare with a large scar running across his entire face. Temari shuddered as he entered, suddenly feeling like the temperature had dropped a few degrees.

She gratefully put the warm shoes on as the Korikage kept talking, but her focus was on the parchment instead of the imposing newcomer. Shikamaru couldn't have possibly orchestrated events surrounding him to get_ her_ specifically to come here, could he? It just wasn't possible. It had to be a coincidence.

_But what if it's not?_

"I have one request," she said, turning to the Korikage as she retrieved her travelling cloak.

"Ask and it shall be granted," he replied.

"I want to stay at your village's normal traveler's accommodation. To see what the regular folk are like and what they think. No escorts, no tails. And I'm a Jonin. I'll know if someone is following me."

He paused a brief second, but to his credit did not renege on his word. "We are a bit cautious at the moment, seeing as how our outlying village was burned down under our noses."

But Temari wouldn't be denied. If Shikamaru could run logic circles around half the world from undercover, she could at least outsmart one little bastard. "Are you asking Suna to have your back against a former ally of ours and telling us you don't trust us unsupervised in the same sentence? That's bold for a man in your position."

She knew she was burning all of her leeway in a single move, but it had to be done. She had to know if Shikamaru was after her help and why. And if he was, she'd beat his face in for making her come to this icicle of a village!

"Very well," he said, bowing slightly. "We do appreciate your consideration enough to extend our trust to you, Miss Ambassador. A member of my personal staff will escort you to the inn."

She smirked inwardly. _You're not the only master manipulator, boy_.

Walking out and retrieving her cloak, she left in a hurry, eager to get away from the two men. She knew danger when she saw it, and those two together set off every warning bell she had. But as she stepped out into a hail of snow and wind, they fell from her mind, and she focused on the spiky-haired boy that was her destination.

* * *

...

Ino woke up in bed, her face swollen from crying and her pillow still wet from absorbing her sorrow. It was dark out, and the window was wide open with chilly mountain air blowing through the girl's room. She was the only person in there. She rose and shut it, sniffling loudly before flopping back down, arms splayed out helplessly to her sides.

She had fallen asleep crying, yet again. Over a stupid boy, yet again. Why was it that she could face down legendary S-rank ninja without fear and could stick her hand inside a dying man's open abdomen to heal a wound without batting an eye, but a kiss could turn her into a blubbering mess? It didn't make _sense_! Shikamaru was the newest addiction she had, but for some reason, she couldn't get over the fact that she felt everything much more strongly when it came to him.

Her relationships were usually short and sweet. Meet a cute guy, hang out, drink a little, make out, and occasionally someone would be smooth enough to get farther than that. It was fun, and it worked for her up until now, but this time…

She slammed her fist down on the hard mattress, making it buck just a little under the pressure. Shikamaru. That's what the problem was. She didn't have a problem kissing him. The problem _was _him. That just made the problem worse, because if the subject of your problem is another problem, didn't that just makes your problem exponential or something? She vaguely remembered learning something like that when they'd covered advanced algebra.

_He'd probably know the answer to that, too, _she thought sadly.

But she really needed to get her head together. Shikamaru didn't really care about her. He'd shown her that time and time again. Every time she thought she _might_ get somewhere with him and there _might_ be something under that ice-cold shell of his, he'd clam up and prove her wrong. He had cared about Asuma, he cared about Hiruzen and Kurenai, he probably cared about Temari, but nothing he ever did showed Ino that he liked her for who she was, or even cared about her beyond being his teammate.

Now what happened was a mistake. Ino had heard him implying that the ambassador from Suna was Temari. She had thrown a fit and tried to put her stamp on him when he wasn't even hers to claim. It probably would have helped if she'd been honest with herself about how she would feel when Temari would sweep into town and instantly compromise Shikamaru's entire schedule. But she hadn't been, and now when it'd mattered, she screwed up and pushed him farther away.

She had come on too strong, and he'd seen sexy Ino. The same Ino that everyone else saw when they kissed and touched her. And try as she might to justify that, she couldn't make herself believe acting like that was right when it came to him, because Shikamaru was simply worth more than that to her. More than Neji ever could have been with his impersonal demeanor, more than all the guys she'd paraded past Shikamaru's nose, trying to get a rise from him. More than it meant to keep up the façade of Ino the late night pit stop, Ino the wild child.

_And as much as it hurts to admit, Ino the whore._

No, those labels she'd cultivated for attention. After all, a bad reputation was better than being ignored, right? And she would _not _go back to pining over someone who ignored her again like with Sasuke.

It was too late, though, because she didn't want anyone's attention anymore. She wanted _his_ attention, and she could no longer delude herself otherwise. Five short days ago she'd gotten a glimpse of it, and there was nothing she'd wanted more since.

Ino was a practical girl. She prided herself on that, so when a problem presented itself to her, she was much more likely to search patiently for an entrance than to try bashing down a brick wall. Choji was the kind of guy who broke the damn wall down and because of that, he and Shikamaru were good friends. Shikamaru, she realized at long last, wasn't suggesting there were other interesting unlocked doors for no reason. No, he never did anything for no reason.

It was a trick, and one more effective on Ino than Kurenai's best genjutsu. He was in the room with a thousand fake doors, and he didn't want to be bothered by anyone other than people who were interested enough to find the real entrance (as difficult as that was) or Choji.

The reason it hadn't felt right when their lips met was because it wasn't her kissing him. She might as well have been five-foot-eight and two hundred pounds, because that was one of Choji's wall-smashing moments she'd just had.

She stood, trudged into the bathroom, and washed her face in the cool water, getting rid of all the makeup she'd put on to feel better about herself and beautiful. She didn't need it, and he didn't appreciate it anyway. From now on, she wouldn't hide herself from him. She was going to find that entrance if it took the rest of her life.

Feeling bold, refreshed, and new, Ino stepped out of the bathroom before ducking back inside.

_I can at least do my hair_.

She brushed it until the golden locks were once again in a perfect ponytail.

"Lip gloss isn't so bad either, and there's nothing less attractive than chapped lips," she reasoned, pulling the tube out of her bag and dabbing it on her mouth.

She gave herself one more once over before realizing there was something else missing. Eyeliner!

After she'd finished reapplying half of the makeup she'd just washed off, she trudged into the foyer looking for Shikamaru and ready to confess her honest to _kami_ feelings. She stopped dead on the stairs.

Shikamaru sat on the couch nearest to the hearth. Temari sat beside him, leaning over his arm, her chin practically on his shoulder and hands all over him. A few hours ago, Ino would have dismissed it as Temari being the shameless flirt that she was and Shikamaru just being too lazy to shove her off and going along with it. But she was weak right then. Vulnerable. And to think their kiss not even a day past would mean that little…it hurt. It hurt a lot.

He looked up, finally noticing her on the stairs. His gaze was instantly apologetic, but it didn't matter. She saw one more thing come over his face as his eyes met hers. Was it surprise? Confusion? But she didn't stay to find out. Holding back more tears, she rushed upstairs to her room.

* * *

_A/N: I realize we haven't focused a lot on Shika lately, but we'll get back to that...yes...mwuahahahahahaha!_

_You know what to do! Paperazzi 0uT!_

l  
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	8. According to the Plan

**Chapter 8 **

**According to the Plan..**.

Shikamaru stared at the spot Ino had occupied just moments ago. With a tiny, mortified squeak, she had rushed back upstairs at the sight of Temari.

This was _not _what he needed.

He pulled away from Temari's grasp and made to follow the blonde upstairs when a strong hand gripped his own. Temari yanked him roughly back to the couch.

Shikamaru felt annoyance rip through him, stronger than anything he'd let himself feel in years. He could _not_ lose his composure now when there was so much riding on his shoulders.

"Don't chase after her, Shika-kun," Temari cooed. "If she can't handle seeing a real woman around you, then she's no friend in my experience. I honestly didn't know she liked you like that, though."

"She doesn't!" Shikamaru protested. He knew she couldn't. He was too lazy, too aloof, and didn't have enough ambition for women to care about him, especially Ino. "She can't."

_That's why what happened was just a mistake, wasn't it? Ino is leagues above any girl I could ever convince to like me._

"You sound like you're in denial," Temari said, her voice as seductive as she could make it. "That's not like you, Shika-kun."

And _why _did Temari insist on using Ino's nickname for him? Not even his mother called him that, and it only served to confuse him more!

"You're not helping," he said, pulling his hand away. "I know Ino. She wouldn't run off like that if she didn't want to be followed."

"_Please_!" Temari said with a devious smirk. "You clearly know nothing about women. If you chase her now, it'll only lead to problems."

Shikamaru considered this. It was a well known fact that women wanted to be chased, but he had never seen Ino act like this before. Something seemed different when she had come down the stairs. Her demeanor, her attitude, it was… off. He couldn't quite place how, though. So maybe his normal thoughts about Ino didn't apply after he'd kissed her. Or rather, after _she_ had kissed _him_.

He sighed heavily, wondering when this troublesome day would finally end. It was well after midnight and Tayuya should have reported back over an hour ago.

"What you need to do," Temari told him conspiratorially, "is tell me what happened between you and her, and I'll give you some womanly advice."

Shikamaru moaned loudly, wondering if this was really worth the trouble. It was just a hiccup in their friendship. They'd had spats before, and plenty of them. It was inevitable with her aggressive and assertive personality and his laid back and nonchalant approach to everything. So what if they had kissed? They had also bathed together when they were children, and he'd seen her in far less clothing than was usually optimal before. It was completely natural to kiss your female childhood friend who you'd always had an unrequited crush on. Right?

But something in him disagreed with that train of thought and he turned a rueful glance to Temari. "You'd really help me with this?"

It really was too much trouble, especially with him having every nerve frayed to uselessness with the stress of the current mission. If Temari could do the thinking for him right now, it would be one hundred percent welcomed.

She smiled innocently at him, dragging a finger slowly along the line of his jaw. "Of course, Shika-kun. I'll make sure you two won't have this problem ever again."

He frowned as her hand paused on his week-old stubble. Something unsettled him about that statement, but he had neither the capacity nor desire to question her helping hand in this situation. It had taken everything he had to keep his emotions in check this afternoon. That came with its own host of problems, because then he'd start having trouble controlling his clan's jutsus, and the last thing he needed while deep undercover behind enemy lines was to get _weaker_.

His reverie was interrupted when the front door burst open, spilling cold air and thousands of flurried snowflakes through the entryway. Tayuya staggered in, gasping for breath, her cheeks nearly as red as her hair from the biting cold. She shook the snow from her cloak and flung it at the rack before turning to the pair of ninja on the couch.

"Shikamaru-sama!" she panted loudly. "I found Goro!"

"Shikamaru-_sama_?" Temari repeated, eyebrows disappearing behind her dirty blonde bangs.

Shikamaru ignored her as he leapt to his feet.

"Where?" he asked, grabbing his cloak and hurling it over his shoulders. Temari leapt to her feet as well and began yanking on her boots, not wanting to miss out on the action.

"At the village's third level," Tayuya replied, tugging anxiously at the bandages that covered her forehead. "He hadn't left by the time I decided to report, but we have to hurry!"

"Good work," Shikamaru called over his shoulder as he rushed up the stairs, shoving the quarrel with Ino into the back of his mind. But Temari's voice stopped him short. "Wait!"

"We don't have time to wait. I have to get Ino," he replied.

"Don't do it. You're only wasting your time. She won't come along, anyway. Just come on. The three of us are more than able to handle whatever's going on."

Shikamaru hesitated, but what if she was right? Ino was hardly cooperative when she was upset with him, and she usually was upset with him _a lot_. Making his decision, he dashed back down the stairs and out the door, casting one last look at the landing upstairs. He'd make it up to her later. This was too important for an emotional squabble to interrupt.

* * *

...

As the door fell shut behind the three shinobi, Mayuri peered upstairs from her place behind the welcome desk. _Children_, she thought. _What terrible liars, the lot of them._

But she could not deny her own curiosity. For four foreign shinobi to have lodged in her own inn after not seeing a single one in nearly twenty years? What in the world was going on? Not to mention that the spiky haired one was, of his own admission, one of the Nara clan. Which meant that, if her memory wasn't conking out on her again, the blonde one had to be a Yamanaka. Ino and Shikamaru, they had said. Ino-Shika.

_If that's was the case, where is the Cho?_

This deserved investigation. She had some questions for that boy when he returned.

* * *

...

Shikamaru dashed up the street, not daring to run along the rooftops and expose himself to the shinobi that had to be keeping watch at this hour. Instead, he followed Tayuya through the convoluted path she'd taken to avoid notice.

It took several minutes of sprinting as fast as they could through the light snowdrifts before they'd come to the mountain pass that hid the village's third level and its most impressive building. The three conspirators ducked into the snow, thankful for the blizzard and the cover it gave them. They were nearly invisible as they spied on the Korikage's mansion.

Tayuya pointed surreptitiously at one of the lit windows on the first floor, just to the left of the main entrance. "That's where he went when I was watching him enter."

Temari gasped at this development. "Wait, when did you see this guy go in? It's after midnight. The Korikage can't have that many appointments, can he?"

"It was just over an hour ago," the redhead replied. "Right before an ugly woman came out of the building."

"An ugly woman?" Temari snarled. "That was me, you mudbrained-"

And then realization dawned on Temari. She knew exactly who this familiar looking girl was. She had almost killed her once long ago.

"I know," Tayuya replied. "You are the ugliest person I have ever met."

Shikamaru felt an odd mix of emotions. On one hand, the exchange was quite hilarious and he wanted to laugh and watch it play out. On the other hand, he knew both women could make it very ugly very quickly. It was yet another miscalculation he had made. He had forgotten that it was Temari that had nearly killed Tayuya all those years ago, and he hadn't expected them to interact directly anyway.

_More variables._ _Like I need _more_ variables!_

"Both of you be quiet!" he hissed. "We'll deal with that later. Temari, you said it was you coming out. Did you see him?"

"Big guy, giant scar across his face?" she replied quietly, gazing uneasily at Tayuya who was murderously glaring back.

"Yeah, that's him. We've been looking for him. He's connected to Orochimaru's will somehow."

"Orochimaru's will?" Temari asked, puzzled. "Apparently there's a lot I need to know."

They both knew, however, that this wasn't the time to discuss it, so she stayed mercifully silent. A few cold minutes later, Tayuya spoke up, her eyes never leaving the building.

"Shikamaru-sama, would you like me to investigate closer? Goro may have already left."

_Shikamaru-sama? _Temari mouthed, disbelief lining her dark green eyes.

He shrugged at her, feeling his irritation rise again as it had been prone to do on this mission. "No, Tayuya. We can't risk getting caught. As a matter of fact, Temari, you should head back to the inn. If we get caught, we look like curious tourists. If you're caught with us, the whole mission is a failure."

Temari scoffed and cast a sidelong look at Tayuya who paid the blonde absolutely no attention. She grunted her acknowledgement and ducked off the way they'd come. Shikamaru sagged into the snow, glad that there would be some peace and quiet for once as they staked out the manor. He pushed a bit of chakra into his toes to warm them and focused on watching the door through the blizzard.

A few minutes of blessed silence passed before…

"Shikamaru-sama?"

"Stop calling me that."

"Of course, Shikamaru-sama. May I voice an opinion?"

"Of course, Tayuya," Shikamaru said, mentally giving up on convincing her to call him anything else.

"Is it possible that Goro has already left, possibly through a passage unknown to us?"

"I have no idea," he replied. "All we can do is keep watch here."

"Yes, Shikamaru-sama."

More silence.

"Shikamaru-sama?"

He ground his teeth together. She wouldn't hear that particular bit of frustration. "Yes, Tayuya?"

"Is it a test of my loyalty to you that you invited the woman who nearly killed me to stay with us?"

"I did _not _do that," he replied. "I'm not God. I don't control everything that happens. That was a complete and utter coincidence, and I still haven't figured out how that occurred."

More silence.

"I don't get it. You didn't really answer, Shikamaru-sama."

He stuffed his face into the snow drift he lay in. "No, Tayuya," he mumbled, his words muffled. "I did not do that as a test of your loyalty."

He lifted his head up again and wiped the excess snow from his face. "I would never do something like that, and I'd personally prefer if you two interacted as little as possible to keep those tensions from causing problems."

Tayuya kept her eyes on the door, but Shikamaru watched her and he saw something like surrender pass over her. "If you will it, Shikamaru-sama, I can put that behind me."

Shikamaru wondered for the first time what was wrong with this girl. She was a perfectly normal person, as far as he knew. She hadn't been genetically modified to be completely docile and subservient. What kind of normal person went that far in their servitude to forgive someone who nearly killed them simply because their master told them to?

He made a mental note to ask her about it when they had time seconds before realizing that they had nothing to do to keep them awake during their stakeout beside talk.

With a heavy sigh, he ventured the question on his mind, resigning himself to learning about the person under his command.

She looked at him quizzically for a brief second before returning her attention to the door.

"I don't understand what you're asking," she replied. "Are you saying that I have no sense of myself?"

Shikamaru was silent. He'd rather hear her answer than hear himself speak again.

"No," she answered her own question. "I'm not the same little arrogant girl you beat that day in the forests of Fire country. It was a struggle for me just to survive when Kabuto found me and put me back together. He wasn't… gentle. I already told you it took three years for me to get back to the level I was at when I fought you. His methods were brutal. They wore on me. It was like he was trying to break me on purpose."

She fell silent. Shikamaru debated prodding for more, but decided against it. They waited in a tense silence for nearly an hour until Shikamaru heard Tayuya sag down into the snow and her breathing became slow and regular. She had fallen asleep. He smirked inwardly at that, noting that she had woken up before everyone else to clean and refurbish the inn before going out for her search and taking extra time in that. Now tacking the stakeout to the end of that meant she had been awake for nearly twenty-four hours.

He figured she had earned a bit of sleep, even if it was in the middle of a blizzard. Not long afterwards, the first rays of dawn were beginning to creep up over the horizon. Shikamaru wondered briefly if the stakeout was a failure as he glanced at Tayuya, snoring ever so slightly next to him. She looked a lot less like the virulent, cloudy-eyed firecracker that he'd thought of her as.

As a matter of fact, he'd mostly thought of her as just one of Orochimaru's puppets, but that wasn't right. Not at all. She looked peaceful, almost innocent, while she was sleeping. If he had grown up with her, he imagined they might have even been friends.

But that wasn't what happened. He had enough problems dealing with his own reality, and there was no use imagining what might happen in another one. Besides, after five hours of lying in the freezing snow, the front door of the mansion was finally opening. Tayuya's eyes snapped open and she rubbed sleep out of them as she got her bearings.

Blood flushed her cheeks at realizing she had fallen asleep on watch. "Shikamaru-sama, I apologize. I failed you. I'm sorry-"

"Quiet!" he replied as loudly as he dared. "You needed sleep. didn't you? There's someone coming!"

But the blush did not leave her cheeks, and her hand wiped something wet from the corner of her eye. _Probably just snow_.

Ahead of their slowly melting snowdrift, a man stepped out into the flurry. It was hard to make out his features at this distance, but Shikamaru was sure he saw a scar across his face. He felt his stomach tie itself in knots, and he forced himself to remain calm. He wasn't a rookie, fresh out of the chunin exams. He had to find this guy's hideout and now. They wouldn't get another chance.

"Tayuya, get back to the inn ASAP and come back after me with Ino. I'll follow him myself."

The redhead disappeared after a curt nod and Shikamaru sat up on his knees, his hands flying through hand seals. He activated Mesiagakure again, yanking the hair band from his ponytail and making sure the rest of his hair laid flat. Once he was certain he was invisible, he crept quietly after the man, sending chakra to his feet and walking along the walls of the cliffs so he wouldn't leave footprints behind him.

He had to be careful, though. If he stayed in one place too long, the falling snow would pile up on him and give him away, Mesaigakure or no. It would be a poor shinobi who didn't notice a floating snowdrift.

But thankfully Goro moved quickly, as if determined to reach his destination before dawn reached the village proper. He twisted and turned through the village until they were nearly at the opposite end of town from the inn before finally disappearing into a small pub.

Shikamaru weighed his options. He could sit tight and wait until backup arrived, but possibly lose the contact, or he could charge in, kick ass, take names, and drag Goro out by his ears.

_Right. Like that'll happen_.

He chose to remain hidden, making two hand seals before extending his shadow in through the closed window (because, really, what shadow stopped for a window?). It was about then he realized that he had no shadow to move. He was invisible, and as such, there was no solid body to intercept light and cast a shadow.

_Shit shit shit! _He thought furiously, trying to figure out how to attack and defend while invisible. _Kakashi didn't explain this part! No wonder the Nara don't teach this technique! It robs us!_

He loathed to go visible again just to sneak into the ramshackle building in front of him, so he settled for peering through the window. Inside, a dozen ninja were standing in a loose semi circle around Goro while he apparently gave them some instruction. Most of them seemed to have Iwa's forehead protectors, with a few sporting Shimo's snowflake emblem. The ninja quickly dispersed and Shikamaru paid careful attention to the trajectories they arced away on, making sure they wouldn't notice him.

After a quiet minute, Goro stepped back outside and looked around suspiciously. Shikamaru's heart leapt to his throat.

_He can't know I'm here… He'd need a Sharingan. Kakashi said…_

But after losing his ability to use his shadow, he wasn't willing to bet his life on anything Kakashi might have left out. Goro walked toward his side of the pub and began to swat randomly at the air. The look on his eyes was one of murderous intent and he slid a sword from the scabbard on his back.

_Shit! He knows! _

Shikamaru leapt back from Goro's next swing. It would have taken his head off if it connected.

Goro smiled at that. "Come out, shinobi. I know you're there."

Shikamaru didn't have many options. He'd left his weapons at the inn in his rush to stake out the manor and his shadow was nonexistent. But he was still fairly invisible and that was an advantage he didn't want to let go of. If he could stall until backup arrived…

"This is no fun," Goro said, swinging his sword again. "You shinobi send someone to kill me every few days. You'd think I was used to it by now."

"How did you know I was there?" Shikamaru asked, watching the rooftops. His heart was pounding under his vest, and he was starting to feel the strain of sustaining the jutsu. It had been nearly ten minutes.

"You're not too skilled with that invisibility stuff yet. And you sound like a kid. Has Konoha gotten that desperate that they sent a kid to kill me?"

"Konoha?" Shikamaru tried to sound surprised. He wasn't sure whether it was his racing pulse or his dry throat, but he managed. "What do they want with you?"

Goro's eyes narrowed. "The last four times it's been Konoha. Why is this any different? And rumor has it they destroyed my village on the outside. That was a profitable trading post. I'm not stupid, boy. You'd be wise not to match wits with me."

Shit! Shikamaru tried to think of a way out as Goro took a measured step and swung the sword again. He was a good ten paces from Shikamaru, but if this kept up, he was going to have to run. He knew he couldn't use his clan's techniques now under any circumstance. That would give him away and the mission would be over.

Goro stopped walking and put the sword away. "I guess you're not here to kill me then, boy. Too bad. I would have liked to finish you off myself."

He turned his back, and Shikamaru saw his chance at escape. Abandoning Mesaigakure, he leapt for the rooftops and dashed toward freedom, only to collide with one of the ninja he'd seen leaving earlier. In fact, all twelve of them were now there, released from their own henges as chimneys, snowdrifts and other normal objects re-materialized into the ninja they really were. In a straight fight, Shikamaru might be able to distract them and escape, but without shadow stitching he had no chance.

The ninja he'd collided with swore and reached for a blade on his back. Shikamaru stilled his shaking hands and calling on the years of training and meditation he'd endured to guide his hands and feet.

His foot collided with the ninja's face and he cast off the heavy cloak, backing away and squaring up with a kunai in hand. It was his only weapon at the moment and he cursed himself for not being prepared. Maybe Kakashi could walk into a fight armed with only a kunai and live, but Shikamaru's taijutsu wasn't nearly that good. And Kakashi had about a thousand non-shadow-based jutsu to work with.

The ninja recovered quickly from the kick and Shikamaru danced away, careful not to let the other ninja circle around him while he focused on one. He had to buy time for Ino and Tayuya to get there. The pair's genjutsu could give him the time he needed to escape, and he only had one or two genjutsu that weren't shadow based in his repertoire.

He intercepted a leg that was flying recklessly toward his head and delivered a return kick to the ninja's groin, sending him crashing to the street below. He wouldn't stay there, though. Shikamaru ducked another strike and blocked a third, but it was becoming hopeless. They almost had him surrounded. A fist finally connected with him, taking him by surprise as it hit him in the back of the head. Stars swam in front of his eyes, and the Iwa nin on either side of him snagged his arms as they flailed for balance. It was no good. He was caught.

Kicking out at them was useless. They held him in the air anyway, so kicks wouldn't really do any good. And they clearly weren't trying to kill him. They hadn't uttered a single incantation or fired off a single jutsu, and he wasn't going to be the one to open _that_ can of worms.

The Iwa nin forced him to his knees and brought his arms together painfully behind his back, kneeling between his shoulder blades and pinning him.

A boot crunched the snow a little too close to his nose for Shikamaru's liking and its owner knelt above him. "Either you really are from Konoha and you won't expose yourself by using jutsu, or you're just some clan prick from elsewhere. It doesn't matter. You couldn't possibly have known that you'd die if you attempted an offensive jutsu inside these walls. Either way, you're lucky."

Shikamaru spat on his boot. "It wasn't luck. I may have betrayed Ame when I left, but I'd rather die than betray my clan!" A half truth. Hopefully the lie would hold up. _Don't break character, _he reminded himself through the fear that was starting to set in. As he struggled beneath his captor's weight, one of the Iwa nin yanked at his arm, and he felt a pop in his shoulder. Pain ripped through him, and he screamed out loud.

Apparently shoulder dislocation no jutsu wasn't considered an offensive technique because the Iwa nin didn't mysteriously drop dead.

But the pain was warping his mind now, and he found it hard to concentrate on simple things. Like the cold snow his face was stuffed into, or the knees painfully keeping him pinned to the roof they were precariously perched on. Or the odd way that several mounds of snow made a perfect fractal on the ground below.

_The things people think about when they're near death,_ Shikamaru thought darkly. He let his breaths come fast and shallow, taking the edge off of the pain in his left shoulder.

"Your clan will be safe if you are really from Amegakure, boy," Goro said. "Which I highly doubt."

_Good,_ Shikamaru thought. _He went from convinced that I was from Konoha to highly suspicious of my allegiance to Amegakure. A few more dislocated joints and Ino might get out of this alive._

_Ino. Damn. I never did have a chance to apologize to her. _

He knew he'd likely never get another. The mortality rate for captured shinobi was a shockingly high percentage that he kept a close eye on.

"Just one question," Shikamaru said, his mind wheeling quickly. "Who is the Akatsuki in your village?"

Goro stood up quickly, taken aback by this question. The ninja shifted nervously on Shikamaru's back before Goro broke into laughter. It was a chuckle that quickly turned into a full bellow.

"And what makes you think there is an Akatsuki here, boy?" Goro replied, finally regaining his composure.

Shikamaru's mind raced to come up with a believable lie. Fortunately for him, his mind could move pretty quickly when it wanted to.

"Our angel once said something about it. That's why I came here. I thought you'd have information on him."

It surprised him how fluidly the reply came. A feint within a feint within a lie.

"Your angel," Goro said, pensively. "That would be Konan, right? Either you really are from Ame, or you Konoha runts have some damn good intelligence."

_Great,_ Shikamaru thought brightly. _That didn't even cost me a limb this time._

"But no matter. Once I extract all of your secrets, boy, I'll tell you everything you want to know before I kill you."

There. That was the sentence he had been fishing for. They planned to torture him first – that much was obvious – but in the end, he would be executed. He had to hold out, though. He couldn't realistically hope for rescue, but only a fool planned to die. The longer it took them to break him, the longer Ino would have to mount a rescue operation.

_And what makes you think Ino is going to save your sorry ass? _He hated being so pessimistic sometimes.

But Shikamaru had no more time to ponder these things as the Iwa nin lifted him roughly by his dislocated shoulder. Agony exploded through his conscience, and he felt himself white out before being jerked back to consciousness by even more pain.

"That's for kicking me in the nuts," his captor muttered venomously.

They dragged him back to the pub and yanked a black hood over his head. But he kept his mind about him, counting the turns and the steps and burned it into his memory. He felt them descending and realized that he had probably missed his opportunity to savor the last sunrise he'd ever see.

_Ah well,_ he thought. _I never liked waking up early anyway._

* * *

_A/n: Thanks for reading! Until next time! Paperazzi 0uT!_

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	9. You Know What? F the Plan!

_A/N: Yay! Update! I apologize to any reviewers who I haven't had a chance to reply to and one to whom i cannot. (you know who you are) Its getting to the really juicy part now, and i hope you enjoy it! without further ado..._

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**You Know What? F*&# the Plan**!

Ino's gut wrenched horribly as she watched Shikamaru being dragged into the dingy pub.

It took both Temari and Tayuya to hold her still long enough for the enemy ninja to leave the area, and even then, they couldn't let go entirely, or she'd be racing into the compound to attempt a rescue. She struggled against their hands and their logic, but mostly against her own reality. This couldn't be happening. It was impossible! Shikamaru was too smart to get caught! He was too strong! He had killed an immortal Akatsuki by himself, damn it! These ninjas were _flunkies_ compared to that guy!

But the two women with her wouldn't allow her to throw away her life, so she finally gave in, letting them drag her back to the inn on the other side of town. She flopped down onto the couch, willing the tears that had been building to stay inside. The lobby inn seemed so empty now without him. Silence hung over the three ninja like a heavy fog, accentuating the missing member of their impromptu team. Despite the fact that a half dozen people were there, it seemed like she was all alone because none of them could ever understand her pain.

Temari stood behind the couch, arms folded across her chest and a pensive expression glued to her features. Tayuya sat heavily on the stairs, looking devastated. Ino couldn't blame her. No sooner had she run off to bring Shikamaru help than he'd been trapped, and she was gone when he needed her most.

Hikari ran past the redhead and leapt into Ino's lap. "Kaa-san!" she cried happily, too young to understand the emotions the three kunoichi were radiating. But she caught on quickly as her excitement wasn't acknowledged by the older woman. "Kaa-san, what's wrong?"

The girl looked around at the expressions of the other women in the room, and she showed just how astute children could be under certain circumstances. "Where's Pineapple Man? Did he get hurt?"

_Did he get hurt?_

_Shikamaru's arm gave a sickening crack as the ninja on his back wrenched it at a wholly unnatural angle. Ino nearly vomited, watching his face contort in agony. But she was helpless, useless. Weak._

"Kaa-san, why aren't you talking?"

She turned to the child, innocent and sad and in need of protection, emotionally and physically. "Pineapple man is fine," she said, tears forming in her eyes at the words. "He'll come home. I promise."

She heard a slight sob come from somewhere in the room and glanced at Temari, then Tayuya, before realizing that it was only herself who was crying. And within seconds, Hikari was bawling in her lap, reacting to Ino's silent tears. _I've cried entirely too much today_, she thought lucidly as she fought down her emotions.

A shinobi never showed their feelings. Emotion was weakness.

Hibiki stepped down the stairs lightly and shuffled over to where his older sister sat on Ino's lap. His head was low and he wouldn't meet Ino's eyes.

"If Kaa-san says he'll be fine, he will," he said. His voice was shaky, and Ino could feel the struggle he was going through just trying to comfort his sister. They'd been through this once before when they'd first woken up and had to come to grips with their parent's deaths. They had been coping so well, and now for this to happen…

"I'm sure Kaa-san is going to do whatever she can, right?"

He looked up at her, his blue eyes pleading, and Ino nodded numbly. How could she say no? These children needed _Shikamaru _more than any of them. They had no one else. She burned the promise into her heart and reached her arms around the pair of them, drawing them close and holding them tightly as she whispered platitudes and reassurances that she only wished she could believe herself.

"Cute."

This was Temari, of course. Her scathing tone brought Ino out of the moment of comfort, and she glared up at her.

"You! You dirty skank! This is all your fault!"

"My fault? Excuse me? You were the one upstairs crying instead of being out there to help fend those ninja off!"

"If you hadn't been trying to sink your damn claws into him-"

"Then what? You two kiddies would have skipped off into the sunset? Get real!"

Ino's cheeks burned hotly. Nara Shikamaru did not _skip_.

"No, but at least-"

"Shut up!"

Both kunoichi turned to Tayuya, who was shaking quietly where she had folded herself into a ball. She lifted her head from where it was buried in her arms, and her untamed hair fell over her face.

"It is my fault that Shikamaru-sama was captured." She scoffed at herself. "It isn't the first time my master has been snatched from beneath my nose."

For some reason, Ino couldn't bring herself to interrupt her with words of comfort. Hell, she didn't even _like_ this girl. Come to think of it, she didn't like Temari either. She ushered the kids upstairs and stood to face the other two.

"I failed him, and so did you. But instead of bickering like this, shouldn't we be trying to get him back? Because he obviously means something to each of us…" Tayuya's voice faded until Ino could barely hear the whispered words that came next. "…Even if none of us are being honest about what he means to us."

Temari leaned back like she had been physically slapped, and Ino felt like a ton of bricks had been dropped on her. She was being honest! She was finally being honest with herself! And the day she finally figured it out, he went and got himself captured. She knew what would happen if she tried to report to her father. If the chakra sensing nin in the village didn't swarm down on her immediately, she'd be told to abort mission and leave him behind. One ninja wasn't worth the safety of the entire village.

_But if being a good little ninja means that I have to abandon the one person in the world I can't live without, then I don't want to be a good ninja. I want to be a bad one. The worst kind of ninja. If it means abandoning Shikamaru, I want to be the worst ninja in the history of ninjadom!_

But she was being stupid and childish and she knew it. She was an adult, and adults looked at the consequences. There were three of them, and at the very least a dozen of the enemy. That didn't bode well, even for a trio of jonin, and there was only one jonin among them. If they were going to rescue Shikamaru, they needed a plan.

"The girl speaks the truth," came another voice from behind the welcome desk.

_Weird,_ Ino thought to herself. _I didn't even know she was in the room._

Mayuri shuffled from behind the desk, using a cane to support herself. She stopped when she stood directly in the center of the three girls.

"A kunoichi must know what she feels in her heart if she hopes to survive and come home to her loved ones. As women, we feel things much more strongly than men, and that gives us a distinct advantage. In times of great duress, we have a strength we can call on that they can never fathom."

Ino blinked. "Mayuri-san…"

"Wait," Temari barked, leaning toward the old lady. "Are you saying you used to be a ninja?"

Mayuri smiled at the Suna nin, nodding her head slightly. "A long time ago, young one. A very long time ago. If my memory is correct, I was among the first ninja to settle into hidden villages. I was a mere child at the time, of course, but I was there."

"That's great lady, really," Temari said, her fingers itching to blow someone away with her tessen. "But how does that help us now?"

Mayuri shuffled further into the room and sat down on the couch as Temari ranted on.

"I mean, come on. The power of love isn't exactly going to decapitate those bastards who broke Shikamaru's arm."

Mayuri held up her hand, silencing the girl. "Quiet, young one. I wasn't talking about the power of love or some nonsensical thing like that. You young ones play too much video-television."

Ino was about to tell her that there was no such thing as video-television, but thought better of it. Temari apparently agreed, and Tayuya didn't appear to know what videos or televisions were in the first place. The two kunoichi moved to sit on the couch on either side of Ino, facing Mayuri.

"What do you mean, then?" Temari said, smirking and crossing her legs. "Sounds like you're talking about a real weapon."

Mayuri's wrinkled cheeks pulled into a smile as she regarded the three. "I am. I am talking about the very real weapon that women possess, especially over men. If you want to get your friend back, then listen closely…."

As she said this, Chokichi wandered into the lobby as he was prone to doing every few hours and took in the women in the room. "Look Mayuri-chan! Visitors! Welcome to Shimogakure's one and only-"

"SHUT UP!"

* * *

...

Shikamaru had lost count of time. He knew not what days were, or what it meant when the sun set and the moon rose. Or was it the moon setting and the sun rising?

He only knew pain. Agony even. He was always one to avoid conflict - that much he could remember - but even that wasn't much. A memory of a deer or two. Clouds. Lots of clouds. That much he could remember, but the man was asking him something again.

Where was he from? _Does it matter?_

More pain. He expected that. He didn't even remember speaking, but it hardly made a difference. If he said a lot, they hurt him. If he was quiet a lot, they hurt him. The cuts and slices they had been busy making all over him were ceasing to be effective. Not because he had gotten used to the pain. You could never get used to _that_.

It was because they were running out of places to cut him. Blood dripped from nearly every inch of his exposed skin. Some of it was so old it had begun to coagulate and leave ugly blotches all over him. So they started a new torture session. A man would punch him, hard and repeatedly, whenever he didn't like Shikamaru's answers. Which was often. It didn't seem to matter, though, because there were only two things that could occur that could spare him the pain. The first was sleep. Or unconsciousness. They were pretty much the same thing to him now. Whenever he woke up, though, he'd be in a cage on the floor like some kind of animal. His hands and feet were shackled together like he was a pig ready for roasting.

And it hurt. He didn't like waking up. The only thing other than sleep that offered him any reprieve was Ino. Not the actual person Ino, but mentioning her, talking about her. It was all they ever seemed to want to listen to, so he'd tell them about her flower shop and her hair and her deep blue eyes. A part of him remembered why they wanted to know about her. He'd told them she was there and they were looking for her. Or maybe he'd told them she was from home and they wanted to know where home was?

But he'd told them a million times! He was from Amegakure! He grew up on a farm outside of the city herding deer! His father was Hohki Shikaru and their clan were farmers before they became ninja. But they never seemed to believe him. He wondered why sometimes between the beatings, but they never answered him when he asked.

"Ino," he mumbled through a glut of blood. His tongue hardly worked right anymore. It was all swollen and it hurt to move it. So when he didn't say anything because his tongue hurt, they hurt the rest of him too. Their new favorite place to hit him was his balls. And that _hurt_! But it was only two or three times before he'd fall asleep and they couldn't hurt him anymore.

Pain was his world. Pain. Funny, a guy with that name used to run his village.

They all perked up and listened. He had orange hair and he was a jerk. Killed some guy's whole family. Women and children, too. Poor sap. Who hits women, really? Women were weak. They needed to be protected. Pain.

Shikamaru coughed blood. Like Ino. She was there when Pain attacked. Shikamaru's arms ached and he was dimly aware that he was hanging by them, attached to manacles. He had no idea where he was or what time it was. He could hardly open his eyes for how swollen they were. He had to think of Ino. Ino would protect him. He knew she would. She was his teammate, after all. He squinted out, and it dimly registered that there was a man in front of him.

He could _see_! It was the first time in days! Or at least, it felt like days. He wasn't too sure what days were anymore. Or really what it meant when the sun set and the moon rose. Or was it… aww, hell, he was getting a headache. So he resumed squinting instead. It didn't hurt.

There was a man in front of him. A person. Human. Kindness. Ino. His eyes fell shut again, tired just from the effort it took to open them.

"Are you Ino?"

No, he answered. He was Pain.

* * *

...

Ino stared at the clock on the wall. It ticked by agonizingly slowly as she waited for Temari to report back. They were on phase two of the plan, which now included pretending to be Goro's concubines to gain intel. Tayuya was off searching for the contact that would deliver one or more of the girls to Goro's hideout and so far hadn't returned with anything useful.

Temari was at an ambassadorial meeting, and Ino was personally grateful for the time they were away. Just because she had to work with them for Shikamaru's safety didn't mean she had to like them. She wasn't selfish enough to view them as her competition, because at the moment the only thing they were competing for was currently held in a dingy pub and probably being tortured out of his mind.

His beautiful mind. Ino felt bile rising in her throat at the thought of Shikamaru losing his mind. She didn't know what she'd do. His mind was impeccable. Perfect. It had long since been the most attractive thing about him to her. Hell, for a while, he made sure it was the only thing attractive to her. She knew the Hokage could heal mental scars like she once did for Kakashi, but that was for only a few seconds of torture. Shikamaru had been captured for nearly a week now.

Mayuri shuffled over to Ino and placed a cup of tea in front of her, sitting down beside her with a creak of old bones.

"Worrying again, are we?"

Ino nodded glumly, afraid to voice her concerns to the lady. She hadn't ever explained why she'd been assisting them, and that made her involvement all the more suspicious. Ino realized when Mayuri first revealed herself to be a kunoichi that she couldn't trust her. Not openly, anyway.

"The idle mind is a fool's playground, girl," she quoted at Ino. "Tell me what's on yours."

It wasn't a question, and Ino didn't have the emotional capacity to lie at the moment, so she told her.

Instead of being upset or angry, Mayuri just chuckled. "You are becoming a fine ninja if that's really what you're thinking, girl. But I don't believe you can hide your emotions well enough yet. At least not about this boy. The Nara. Tell me about him."

Ino was surprised that she had read her so easily, but she finally had an ear to talk to that wasn't six years old. Someone with a long lasting marriage who lived happily with her husband in her old age.

"Shikamaru is special to me," she said guardedly. "For a lot of reasons. I can't discuss all of them."

Mayuri smiled blithely. "Of course. You Yamanakas always did play things close to the chest."

Ino leapt up, snatching a kunai from her leg holster and holding it out in front of her. "How do you know my clan?" She was deadly serious. This was the mission at stake. She didn't know or care if Shikamaru had spilled the entirety of his most guarded secrets to his interrogators. She'd kill this lady if she knew too much.

But Mayuri ignored her and took a long sip of her tea. After nearly a minute of silence, Ino realized she must have looked foolish and holstered the weapon.

"Thank you, darling. I'm sure you realize that when a spiky haired young man comes in and registers himself as a Nara, the blonde shinobi with him is undoubtedly a Yamanaka."

She hadn't realized that was what tipped her off actually. They had been in Shimogakure for upwards of two weeks now, and Mayuri hadn't offered the slightest hint that she knew their identities.

"So you know…we're from…"

"Konoha, yes."

"Then why are you helping us?"

The lady sipped her tea again and Ino sat back down, curiosity overpowering her mistrust.

"I suppose," she said quietly, "it's in my nature to help others. That's why when I retired from active duty, I opened a travel lodge in a land where people don't travel."

Her face grew darker as she set the empty teacup on the table. "It is why when I found Chokichi all those years ago, I rescued him from the torture Konoha was inflicting on him and nursed him back to health."

Ino gasped, looking over her shoulder at the spot where Chokichi most often wandered out to notice the "new arrivals."

"Chokichi-san? He was tortured?"

Mayuri nodded slowly and indicated Ino's tea. "Its rude to ignore a gift, girl."

Ino apologized and lifted the cup. "What happened?"

Mayuri just sighed and shook her head again. "I'll not recount that story, girl. Our time grows short. Remember this. It will take love, patience, and understanding for that boy to return to what he once was."

Ino blinked, not understanding. "Wait. What do you mean? Do you think he's going to-"

But the door burst open and Tayuya rushed through it. "Oi, Ino!" she called rudely. "I found where the trash are keeping him! Temari is on her way!"

Ino nodded sharply and rushed upstairs. They had been drilling this moment into their heads for the last week. The final day of the plan. Final preparations. If they failed, Shikamaru was as good as dead, and they might well be also.

Ino grabbed a specially prepared equipment pouch and double checked every item against the list that she'd taped to her wall. She slipped that into her bag beside her equipment pouch, and read over the plan outlined in her notebook one final time. Most of it had been Mayuri's idea, but as they gained intelligence and as the week progressed, it became more detailed and specific. A few touches in the plan were distinctly hers.

Tayuya stepped quietly into the room they shared and began packing her own tools and equipment. Her part in the plan was distinctly support-heavy. Tayuya had the unlucky job of keeping the dozen or so ninja occupied while Ino and Temari got to Shikamaru and got him out. Her summons and genjutsu were the reason for this. As offensive jutsu would be instantly punished by the village's guardians, her techniques were treading a fine line of being beneath their notice. She could also occupy a larger number of ninja than either of the other two.

Ino, it had been decided, was most likely to be recognized by Shikamaru under the worst case scenario and would have to be the first person in. Temari would simply storm the building after the signal was given, relying primarily on the element of surprise and her taijutsu to clear a path for Ino to escape.

Yes, the plan was set, and it was up to them to execute. Ino yanked off her comfortable clothes and slid herself into something that could be generously described as inadequate. The door suddenly opened once more and the children ran through the entryway, wrapping their tiny arms around Ino's legs.

"Bring Pineapple man back, Kaa-san," Hibiki said quickly. "I still gotta beat him up."

Hikari nodded her agreement, and Ino smiled down at the children. "I'll bring him back." _Or I won't be coming back myself._

Temari was the next person to open the door and Ino knew that meant it was time to go. Ino swung her cloak over her shoulders and pulled up her hood. Her heart leapt up into her throat, and she glanced at the two girls on either side of her.

Both of them were risking their lives without a single word of complaint, and Ino appreciated their support for the first time. Tayuya even offered a tiny semblance of a smile.

Ino smiled back at the redhead, and they marched down the stairs. Mayuri waited at the front door and watched as the three headed out. She pulled Ino gently aside as the others left and whispered a few choice words into her ears.

"Don't be afraid of what you find. He will be fine if you truly love him."

Ino nodded, but she couldn't imagine what she meant by that. It mattered little, though. She was sure she'd understand when the time came. They split up, and Ino headed for the first phase of the plan. Shikamaru's life was in her hands. It was up to her to be strong and save him this time, and she was _not_ going to fail.

* * *

...

A moan escaped his lips. Lips that were crusted over with dead, dry skin. It split as he moved them. It was all the sound he was capable of making. Water. He needed water.

Something sloshed into his cage and he glanced down through stinging eyes. Blood had dried in them and it hurt to open them, but he had to see. It was in a bowl. It looked dirty. Was it water? He drank it anyway. He'd never know. He couldn't taste it. Couldn't taste anything. All he knew was that it felt good going down.

A hand reached down and unlocked the cage and hope swelled in his chest. Hope. What was hope? Did it hurt? As a matter of fact, what was a chest and why did he have one of those? They'd hurt him if they caught him with it. But hope was an idea, not a word and not a page from a book he had read and no amount of pain could ever tear it from him. So when the cage unlocked, he did the only thing he knew how. He climbed out of the cage on all fours like an animal.

His appearance didn't suggest that he was anything more. He wore tatters for clothes. His hair was wild and mangy where it hadn't been ripped from his skull in chunks. Cuts, burns, scars, and bruises covered every inch of him. Some were starting to get infected and pus was building up in more than one place.

His skin felt as if it were on fire with each individual cell was ripped or torn in some manner. There wasn't an inch of him that wasn't in some sort of pain.

Shikamaru had ceased to exist, and in his place there was nothing. A shell that existed only for continued torture. He had broken long ago, but - loyal to a fault - he'd used their torture against them. He convinced himself of his own lies, using their pain as a catalyst until he'd actually become the person he said he was.

But there was a hand, opening his cage, lifting him. A hand. Human. People. Kindness. Ino.

"Are you Ino?"

"Shut it, kid."

He felt himself dumped back onto the floor. Blood pooled at his feet. His blood. There was so much of it. His arms were raised above his head again and shackles were clamped to his wrists.

"Alright, boy, we've got something new for you today. Goro's gonna be interrogating you himself."

"Muzzakarat?"

"Yeah, whatever you say." Laughter. It was something he'd not heard much of. It was something foreign, from another world. Another life. A life without pain. A life with clouds. Clouds. Soft. Beautiful. Ino.

"Where is Ino?"

"I don't know. You tell me… Shikamaru." A new voice.

"Goro-san, he's all yours."

Pain.

"Where are you from, boy?"

"Amrmrmrmrmgak."

Pain.

"Ame- Ame…Amegakure."

"Much better. And who is Ino?"

Shikamaru thought deeply about this.

"Kind. Good. Nice. Warm. Soft."

Pain. He gasped. Ino wasn't supposed to hurt him! Why was she doing this? He started to panic, flailing against his chains with all the strength he could muster. It was pitifully little, but he had to do something to protest this. Ino had hurt him!

He shoved his eyes open and began to calm down. Ino wasn't present. Just a man. A man he recognized. He wasn't Ino. His name was something else. It was close.

"Toro, Boro, loro, Goro." Yes that sounded right. "Goro."

The scarred man blinked before smiling at the Nara.

"I see you recognize me. Do you still have some questions you want answered? Like the Akatsuki contact? Do you want to know who he is? I'll tell you if you tell me who Ino is."

Shikamaru didn't know what any of that meant. He only knew what he knew and he was happy to tell what he knew. Less pain that way.

"I saved a little sanity for you."

Goro and the previous interrogator blinked at that. It was the most coherent sentence he'd said in four days.

"Shikamaru told me to do this."

And he spat on Goro's shoe. Pain. Lots of pain. _Stupid Shikamaru! Why would he tell me to do something like that?_

"You think you're so clever?"

Pain.

"Who do you think you are, fucking with me?"

Pain.

"Tell me who this Ino is or I'll kill you now!"

"Ino. Trade."

"Trade? You want to trade? I'll tell you who the Akatsuki is, you tell me who Ino is."

Pain.

"Sound good?"

Shikamaru nodded.

"Well, tell me. Who is Ino?"

Shikamaru shook his head, spitting blood. "You first."

Pain. A lot of pain. It didn't stop either. There were different kinds. Hitting pain, burning pain, cutting pain, slashing pain, shocking pain. It kept going on, longer than it ever had before, and each new wave of pain was brought on with a splash of water, a rinse of ice cold malice that kept him awake for the next round of suffering.

"So tell me," Goro finally said, shaking blood from his hands. "Who is Ino?"

"You first." A fist raised. "He told me to say it. Please don't hurt me!"

"Who told you?"

"Shikamaru." It seemed stupid. Who was this guy and why was he telling him to do and say stuff like that?

"Fine, I'll indulge your game, Shikamaru. Our Akatsuki contact here…is me. I orchestrate the hits, provide safe houses, gather contracts, and make sure that no one knows who's in the shadows. Don't imagine for a second you'll escape with this knowledge, boy. Hell, you'll be in no condition to tell anybody anything even if you did somehow escape. Now tell me; who is Ino?"

"A deal is a deal," Shikamaru moaned. "Ino… my teammate. Ino …will save me…" And he promptly lapsed into unconsciousness.

Goro turned to his subordinates and smirked. "You got her description from him before, right?"

"Yup. Blonde hair, blue eyes, pretty. His age."

"Good. Find her. And bring her to me."

* * *

_Thats all for today! It was a bit of a departure from the mood of the earlier chapters, and the story's changing direction just a teensy bit here ;)_

_You know what to do._

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	10. Rescue

_A/N: So I've been a good little writer and gone through the entire story to standardize the formatting (Shikamaru would mutter something about measure twice and cut once here) and i'm glad i got those chapter numbers all in order! that must have been confusing for you guys and i apologize!_

_Since you guys have all been AWESOME with your dedication to read this story, (already over 2000 total hits and it hasn't been a month since it went live!) I want to thank all my readers (I only call you readers cause i don't know your names individually!) and reviewers (TheMissMalave, Kurtulmak, Kukirew, SilentE, Echo Uchiha, JeNaHee, , Indigo Yamanaka, Newt-ish, Celeste Carla, Haylin-chan, DolceNana, KeitorinNara and Alyssa009) You can wake up to yet another chapter! You guy's constant support and readership and feedback makes me feel like a million cookies! _

_And without further ado, you may board the Ship...puuden._

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**Rescue**

Ino felt a chill deeper than she'd ever felt it in this forsaken town. She wanted to blame it on the cool evening breeze. Or the fact that she was wearing little more than underwear in an attempt to sneak into Goro's lair.

But she couldn't shake the sense of foreboding that hung over her. It was Mayuri's words that did it.

_Don't be afraid of what you find._

She was afraid to find out he was already dead before they could do so much as lift a finger to pull him out of that hell. But that didn't seem to be the meaning she wanted to convey.

Ino trudged toward the contact point, ignoring the jostling of the crowd of villagers around her. They went about their daily routines without so much as a twinge of apprehension for the events that were about to occur. She fought through the crowd, most of whom were traveling the opposite direction. She felt like a fish fighting the current, swimming hopelessly upstream to return to something that was only a memory.

Fighting back tears – she'd be damned if she were to ruin her makeup _now –_ Ino pushed through until the crowd tapered off and she came upon a dimly lit apartment building. She double checked the address to make sure it was the right place before stepping carefully to the door and knocking. She was vulnerable, she knew, having given her equipment pack to Temari before they split up. She didn't have so much as a single shuriken on her person.

A short, pudgy man answered the door. He was balding on the top of his head and just seemed… _greasy_. He was the kind of person Ino would never associate herself with, willingly or intentionally.

"You here for the pageant?" he asked with a smirk, taking in her long blond hair and soft features. "You sure are a pretty one."

He reached out to stroke her cheek roughly. Ino inwardly recoiled at the touch, though she permitted it, not wanting to give herself away. She was supposed to be a concubine. Concubines didn't flinch when they were touched. _Stay in character,_ she reminded herself. It was one of the basics at the academy; never break character until the mission dictated.

"Come on, girlie. You just made it. They're about to pick for the night."

It didn't escape her notice that the original mission parameters had called for her to infiltrate Goro's hideout by means of seduction. Here she was, fulfilling the mission, all by herself. _Without Shikamaru._

She looked around the poorly lit apartment he ushered her into. A naked red light bulb cast the only light. A bed, desk, and two chairs were already occupied by a half dozen other women, all of them wearing even less than Ino.

The pudgy man yanked off her cloak and pushed her roughly into the room.

The women glanced at her, looks of contempt obvious on their faces. Ino tried not to think about the things that these women did for a living and merely stood in the center, unwilling to move closer to any of them.

A few quiet minutes later, the door opened again. A taller man came through it, his bald head nearly brushing the door frame. He wore a long trench coat and had an air of confidence, even cockiness.

"Alright," he said, quickly glancing around the room. His eyes lingered on Ino before moving on. "Goro wants two today. Said so himself. So I'll take you-" he pointed out a woman whose hair was dyed an unflattering shade of red- "and you," he finished, pointing to another girl with tattoos covering most of her body.

"That's it. The rest of ya'll can go home."

The two chosen girls made superior faces at the rest as they followed him out of the room. Ino began to panic. This wasn't right. How had they _not _chosen her? _I look a thousand times better than the tramps in here!_

"Hey, wait, what about me?" she called desperately to the tall man.

He merely smirked over his shoulder. "You? You're new. Plus, you look like you'd break after one rough night."

Laughing at his own joke he turned away again.

"Wait!" she called. "I need the money!" _What the hell, it couldn't hurt._

"Too bad, sweetie. Today ain't your lucky day. But hang around. When I get back, I could offer you some cash if you clean out _my_ pipes."

As he left, he nearly bumped into some of Goro's thugs and Ino rushed after him. To her surprise, both of the thugs froze and stared at her.

They glanced at each other incredulously before looking back at her.

"It can't be," the first one said, looking like this night had taken a turn for the strange.

"Couldn't hurt to ask. You, girlie, what's your name?" said the other one, looking right at her.

"Who, me?" Ino asked, her voice smaller than she intended it to be.

_**Of course me! Who else?**_

"I-Ino," she stammered nervously. "What do you want with me?"

The tattooed girl clicked her tongue in annoyance and tried to shoo the big man onward, but he was too intrigued by the events to move just yet.

The first thug replied, looking like he'd just gotten Christmas early. "Goro told us to look for someone wit' your description yesterday. Someone blonde, blue eyed, n' pretty named Ino."

Her gut instantly fell. _Shikamaru. It had to be. He spilled our mission and our allegiance_. But that thought hurt a lot less than the fact that he'd singled her out. He'd betrayed her and gave her up to the man who was torturing him. In a million years, she never thought he'd do that. But it didn't matter. If he had done that, then he was just providing the means for her to get inside and rescue him. She steeled her resolve.

"Oh, okay. Well… that's me," she said, smiling lamely and holding her arms out as if to show off her scandalous outfit.

"Yeah, we can see. We ain't stupid."

She highly doubted that, but kept her comments to herself.

The bald man tsked in annoyance and motioned for the tattooed girl to get lost. She shot an acid glare at Ino before storming away, muttering curses under her breath.

Ino didn't understand that in the slightest. How anyone could _want _to see Goro was beyond her. The only reason she wanted to see the guy was to kill him.

They all trudged outside, marched around the corner, and down a few blocks until the dingy pub came into sight. It was the first time Ino had seen it since the day of Shikamaru's capture, as she and other girls had determined it was too risky for her to stake it out. If she was caught, or even seen, they would be in a worse situation than before because she would be unable to perform the infiltration.

But all that fell away as her mind brought back the painful memories of Shikamaru's broken arm and agonized screams on that rooftop.

"Walk up," the bald flunky snapped at her, though there was no problem with her pace. He pushed her roughly forward by her ass, and she fought down the urge to snap his neck like the twig it was. Clenching and unclenching her fists, she picked up her pace, not to be compliant but to distance herself from the pervert.

_For Shikamaru_. He was enduring _kami_ knows what hells for her, so she could endure this for him.

_**Enduring them for you? He gave you up. You heard the guy. He sold you out.**_

Ino focused on the door closing behind her, on the slight warmth the pub offered with its evening occupants beginning to trickle in. The smell of liquor and vomit and musk. And her finely tuned nose picked up another scent, though she was no Inuzuka. _Blood._

Tayuya's intelligence had been right. He was here. She had no idea what they were doing to him and didn't want to find out, but she had to for his sake.

She ignored the jeers and catcalls that came from the assembled men at her current state of undress. It was a small burden to bear, she reminded herself for the millionth time. When they finally passed through a door in the back and went down a dark flight of steps until they were much farther underground than an average basement, her heart began pounding. The smell of blood became stronger, mixed now with a scent she took a moment recognizing. It was a decoagulant; a medicine (or poison) designed to keep blood from clotting.

She thanked her medic-nin training for that bit of information even as her stomach turned flips at what it might mean to Shikamaru. They plunged further into the labyrinth. She secretly hoped that Temari and Tayuya were up to their parts of the plan. She still didn't trust the two, but she had no more time to think about it as they went down a hallway toward a guarded door.

"There you go," said the bald guy, reaching to grope her again. Ino nimbly dodged his hand. He looked angry for a brief second, as if he were going to strike her. If he thought she'd let him get away with_ that_, he had another thing coming.

"Che. He's in there. Hope you enjoy yourself, bitch."

Ino's pulse thundered in her ears. This was it. She had to do everything perfectly. As she stared at the guard that stood at attention, she realized that she could make good use of Kurenai's genjutsu to keep commotion to a minimum. Walking behind the bolder, scarlet-haired woman, she quickly performed the necessary hand seals and brushed her exposed back with her finger ever so gently, placing her under the spell. She kept walking as if nothing had occurred, since Ino had pushed her into a fantasy that so closely mirrored reality that she couldn't tell the difference. Maintaining her chakra levels to keep the genjutsu active, she brushed the back of the guard's hand as she passed him as well.

He was a shinobi and she had to exert herself much more to place him under the genjutsu, but his second of hesitation wasn't noticeable and he closed the door behind her without incident. Inside, she found a rather lavish bedchamber. An enormous bed took the center of the room, replete with shag covers and more pillows than ino had ever seen in one place.

_This guy is a piece of work_, she thought.

Expensive looking paintings decorated the walls and equally expensive furniture littered the room. On the wall to her right, a small set of stairs led to a Jacuzzi tub that was bubbling invitingly. The other wall had a faux window – a screen that displayed "weather" conditions – and it was storming heavily. But it was what was underneath the window that made her heart stop beating for a bare moment.

A cage. They were keeping him in a cage. In his bedchamber, with all the luxuries in the world all over the rest of the room.

She barely recognized Shikamaru. His body was tattered and broken. He had no clothes, and scars, bruises, and burns covered every inch of him. His hair was nearly gone, most of it ripped from his scalp and leaving angry red welts in its place. She took in the details with growing horror that it would be fatal to express, because Goro was standing over the cage. He glanced up at the two women, both of whom were eyeing the bundle of scars and bones that used to be a proud ninja.

"Ahh," Goro said, smiling broadly and brandishing a sword he'd been holding at his side. "You've finally arrived. I have been waiting for you, Ino."

* * *

...

Tayuya stared at her watch. Thirty minutes. It had been thirty minutes since Ino had gone in, and she hadn't seen so much as a glimmer of Temari. She was late, and Tayuya had no idea why. She felt rage seething in her gut, but she forced it down for the sake of her master. It wouldn't benefit her to explode just yet. She had plenty of targets to destroy once the blonde one secured Shikamaru-sama.

_Patience_. She scoffed at herself. There was a time when she would have leapt out as soon as he had been captured. It was too immature, too _stupid_ to wait and watch. But Kabuto had taught her differently. He'd seen something in her that no one else thought was worth saving. It was why she'd survived this long. Why Kabuto had survived this long.

_Patience_.

The door to the apartment she was waiting in burst open and Tayuya leapt at the intruder, kunai in hand and a feral snarl on her tongue. But it was Temari, and she let the weapon fall to her side.

"You're late," she snapped.

"No shit," Temari shot back. She wasn't one to be trifled with, being not as docile as the other blonde (though Ino wasn't exactly submissive). She crumpled something in her hand and slipped it into her pouch.

"Just had to stop and get something is all. My part is done," the Suna nin continued. "I'm ready whenever you are. Just try to avoid using offensive jutsu outside. The last thing we need is whatever this sorry villages' excuse for ANBU is on our ass."

Temari pulled her hair out of its trademark ponytails and tied it down before pulling an ANBU mask and hood on over her head. She couldn't be identified. As such, she was wearing a full ANBU uniform that Tayuya had no intention of asking where she'd gotten. She had left her tessen at the inn along with a simple clone that would pass as an alibi if anyone came calling.

Ino's and her own equipment pack were affixed to her waist, with the smaller girl's pack ironically being much larger. Both knew that it was for the inclusion of medical supplies and soldier pills that Shikamaru would desperately need to escape.

"Ready to do some damage?" Temari asked the redhead, smirking at her.

Tayuya returned the grin with a savage look of her own. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm only ready to kill."

Temari smirked appreciatively before pulling the bird mask over her face and disappearing in a flicker of superhuman speed.

It was time. Tayuya bit her thumb and felt the pain swell through her. It had been so long since she could cut loose…

She tossed her flute into the air, and its lazy spin made a low whistle above her head as she flew through hand seals. One spin, two…

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Behind her, the three huge ogres appeared in a puff of smoke, destroying the floor above her and causing a shrill voice to screech in terror. Tayuya reached out and deftly snatched the flute from the air, pressing it to her lips. Shimogakure would learn to fear her song.

* * *

...

Ino felt a crash shake the entire underground cavern they were in. Her eyes snapped back to Goro. He moved toward her and she stepped back, only to see him aiming for the girl who was with her instead.

A head rolled across the floor, stopping at Ino's feet. The blood that pooled from its neck matched the bizarre color of its hair, and Ino watched the light die from the woman's eyes. She gulped as Goro turned toward her. Her hands already forming a single seal before she turned them sideways so her right palm faced him and her left faced herself. He leapt as she finished pushing her chakra out.

"Shinranshin no Jutsu!" she cried, leaping away from him.

He crashed into the wall, but soon stood and turned to face her again. Her hands remained in the position, keeping him bound to the jutsu.

He stood there, unmoving, and Ino glared daggers at the man. His eyes twitched angrily but that was about all he could do. For all his quickness and strength, he was no shinobi. There was no way for him to fight. When he realized that, his anger dissipated, and the only emotion she saw in him was fear.

"You took away my friend's freedom," she said, seething as she forced him to raise his sword. "But I'm going to take away far more than that from you."

He was starting to panic, and she could see it. This prolonged use of Shinranshin was quickly draining her chakra, but this was an afterthought in her mind. She could only think of revenge for what he'd done to Shikamaru. She glanced at the broken, limp body in the corner and her anger spilled over.

Her breath hitched and a tear fell down her cheek. She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't.

"You took away his freedom, but I'm a Yamanaka. We have power you could never fathom. Right now, you've figured out what you lost, and it's more than your freedom. It's your free will."

The man's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets as she forced him to turn the sword until it was facing down at his legs. He brought it down through his thigh, stabbing himself clean through. But he didn't scream. Tears welled in his eyes at the pain, but no sound escaped him. She wouldn't permit that. This was her torture.

The guard, finally free of Ino's genjutsu because of her efforts to control Goro, yanked the door open and took in the scene. He had exactly one second to register surprise before Goro stabbed his own lieutenant through his gut, impaling him on the blade.

"How does that feel?" Ino asked him darkly, her voice seething with rage. She wanted to kill. She wanted this man dead. And she had all the power in the world to make it happen. So she took her time, driving Goro's own sword through him until he could no longer move despite Shinranshin's effects. She dropped the technique and took up the sword herself, driving it in and out of his chest until all that was left of him was a bloody mess on his bearskin rugs.

She dropped the sword and calmly washed her hands in the sink next to the Jacuzzi, watching the red run off of them until she could see them. They were shaking.

When she finally felt as if she'd regained her composure, she trudged over to the other side of the room, ignoring the crashes and sounds of battle above.

Ino knelt beside the cage, peering in at the battered, broken man inside. She reached inside and touched his hand as she worked the lock with her other. He twitched when her hand pressed against his own and recoiled, waking up with a fearful look in his blackened eyes. His gaze appeared unfocused and even his very consciousness seemed unsteady. Blood seeped slowly from a dozen fresh cuts even as a hundred old ones tried in vain to close themselves.

Ino's voice caught in her throat, and a sob choked her up. "Shikamaru," she whispered as tears began streaming freely down her cheeks. "I'm here, Shikamaru. I came for you."

He blinked slowly and his eyes focused on her as she yanked the lock off. "You- ya- you…" he murmured, looking down at the hand affectionately caressing his own. "Are you Ino?"

That broke her. Her sobs came loud and fast and she pulled her hand back, working with both hands to pull open that horrible cage and reclaim her lifelong friend.

"Yes! Yes, I'm Ino. Shikamaru, I'm so sorry!" she murmured as she helped him crawl from his cell. His foot kicked a metal platter from underneath him and Ino glanced down at the dirty water mixed with blood. _Was that what he's been drinking?_

"Shikamaru, I'm so sorry!" It was all she could say as she helped him to his feet. As much as she wanted to stay in that room, hold him until all of his injuries were healed, and he looked at her with his most bored expression to tell her she was troublesome, she had to move. The whole place would come crashing down sooner rather than later if Tayuya had her say, and Ino was not eager to get on the girl's bad side.

"You're nice," he replied to her, his eyes drooping. And he fainted.

Ino barely caught him, her hands peeling the torn skin from his back like it was tissue paper with the simple friction required to stop him. She couldn't imagine what they'd been doing to him and she didn't want to. All that mattered was that Goro was dead and he would not hurt Shikamaru anymore.

Suddenly the door burst open and Ino looked up, eyes wide and fearful. But it was Temari who burst through the door, taking in Shikamaru's state with an audible gasp. She glanced at the carnage that was the rest of the room, her eyes finally settling on Ino's tear-stained orbs through the bird mask.

"We've got to go," Temari said quietly. "I've killed four, but Tayuya's got at least eight as we speak and soon there'll be more."

She tossed the second equipment pouch to the floor at ino's feet. "Here. Get him the soldier pill and let's go. You have to head straight out. You can't stay at the inn."

"But Hibiki and-"

"Forget them! I'll take care of them. You three have to go now!"

That silenced Ino. In her distress, she'd forgotten that Temari would be staying on under her original cover to keep them updated with the situation. Meanwhile, Shikamaru could obviously no longer manipulate the happenings around the town or the country, and they needed to get him into Tsunade's care.

Ino nodded and fished out the energy pills before gently rousing the boy. Temari grabbed a glass and filled it with water, which Ino fed to him carefully before convincing him to swallow the nutrient ball.

Five minutes later, she could carry him safely, but…

"He needs clothes. It's freezing out there. He'll be dead in seconds."

Temari tsked in annoyance before her eyes settled on the bed.

"Lay him down."

"What?"

"Lay his ass on the bed, Barbie! Hurry up!"

Ino lifted him carefully, shooting Temari her most withering stare as she safely deposited him on the mattress. Temari ignored her and began to wrap the topmost cover around him. Ino quickly helped her, and soon he was wrapped securely inside. Ino lifted the Shikamaru bundle and held him in her arms, using chakra to keep her strength and dashed out of the room after Temari. Only Shikamaru's head was visible sticking out of the black cover, but even that was too much for Ino. She couldn't look at his face without wishing that he'd smirk knowingly at her just once.

"Are we leaving?"

Ino almost tripped. She slowed down to steady herself and looked down at him, feeling her heart rip neatly in two as she did so.

"What?"

"Are we leaving? Is this the rescue?"

"Yes." She couldn't stop her voice from cracking. "Yes, we're leaving." _Finally. Finally we're getting you out of here. I'm sorry it took so long._

"Good. That hurt." Shikamaru's eyes closed slowly and a tiny smile crossed his cracked lips. "Ino. I knew you would come."

* * *

_Oh noes! Shikamaru's pretty messed up! What will Ino do? Will Shikamaru live to see another cloud? I mean sunrise? Find out next time on Shikamaru: Shippuuden! Paperazzi 0uT_

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	11. Backslash Backslash Escape!

_A/N: Hi everyone! My spring break just ended and I'm back to regular life. There's a weird thing going on with the site though that i can't update my story..i wonder what's going on... But the most awesome thing happened today! I got paid in COOKIES! this is one of the most memorable moments of my life and i shall treasure it thusly._

_Sorry this chapter is so late, though. There was some weird error going on with and i couldn't edit the story at all. It just took a bit of hackery and i'm right back at it!_

_Thanks again to my awesome beta Renting cause without her you guys wouldn't even have this chapter. Chapter 11 was originally going to be what is now chapter 12 but she was convinced that it needed more filling in and i did enough filling to make a whole 'nother chapter!_

_So here it is now all thanks to Renting!_

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**/ Escape!**

Tayuya lifted her middle and index fingers upward, changing the pitch of her flute ever so slightly and sending one of her Doki forward to slam its club into the face of an Iwagakure ninja.

The impact snapped the man's neck and his body arced lazily through the air before skidding to a bone-crunching halt on the snow-covered roof of a two-flat. As quickly as she'd instructed the summon to kill the man, she flicked her pinkie finger upward, then back down. Another summon intercepted the Katon jutsu aimed at the opening in her defense that her attack had made.

But there were still too many ninja. Seven more, to be exact, and she was forced to retreat from her position for the third time, leaping across a wide boulevard to land on the top of a light pole a dozen meters away.

Tayuya glanced over at the smashed remains of the pub as she pulled farther and farther away from it. The building itself was more visible as an empty spot in the westernmost rooftops of Shimogakure than anything, and that was thanks to a combined assault by her Doki early on.

_Just to get the worm's attention._

It had been nearly ten minutes since Ino had gone in and it was high time she and Temari got the hell out. One on eight was a stretch for an experienced ninja, and Tayuya was desperately wishing that Shikamaru hadn't sealed off the power Orochimaru had granted her.

A particularly nimble Shimogakure shinobi leapt past her defenses and drove at her heart, kunai in hand. This might have been a fatal lapse in her defense before she had fought Shikamaru, but now she simply blocked the strike with the kunai she held in her left hand and leapt back once again.

He'd taught her a valuable lesson the day she almost died: never go into battle having only one weapon.

The Shimo nin leapt at her again. She countered with a swipe of her own this time, cutting a neat slash through his forehead protector. He tumbled backward off the roof, momentarily stunned, and she brought her flute back to her lips just in time to save herself from a pillar of water that was rushing toward her.

It splashed around her summon, however, and the jutsu flooded the roof she was on with thousands of gallons of water instantaneously. She leapt away just before the roof collapsed under the pressure.

"Dammit," she hissed. Her boots and pants had been soaked up to her knees. "That's going to freeze if I can't do something about it soon."

But the Iwa nin were shouting something and the five remaining grouped together on her left flank. The Shimo nin who'd cast the water spell rushed to her right and she continued to leap backward across the rooftops, trying to distance herself from her pursuers.

It was a futile exercise. They were faster than her. They outnumbered her. They had more chakra than her.

Tayuya kept analyzing the situation, but she could only get one answer. She had to break and run or these pieces of trash would kill her.

So she did, playing her melody wildly in an effort to keep them busy with the Doki attacks.

She concentrated two of them on the Iwa nin and the third on the dangerous water user, thankful that none of them seemed capable of immobilizing her summons. One of them tried to break through and was quickly punished by a vicious backhand that sent him through a wall. Another tried to use jutsu, but it simply crashed against the spiky gauntlets of the summon. A third one, however, raised a doton wall beneath his feet before leaping over the creature's heads and raising another one behind him, effectively trapping the beasts.

A small cheer went out among the Iwa nin. Tayuya just laughed.

"Do you really think that's going to stop them?" she jeered before changing her melody completely.

The three ogre summons suddenly stopped before opening each of their mouths and releasing the Seishin Wamu within them. The corporeal worm-like creature floated through the earthen walls and latched onto the ninja who'd conjured them, draining him of his life force quickly until all that was left was a withered corpse.

She smirked in self satisfaction just before a fireball jutsu hit her full in the chest.

White hot pain flooded her mind and she felt herself soaring though the air. It was all she could do to hold onto her flute as she crashed through a roof and landed bodily on a hardwood floor.

Shaking her head clear and casting off her now-charred cloak, she prepared to leap back out of the hole she'd made when she suddenly recognized her surroundings.

"Aww, shit," she muttered.

"Hi, Tomato lady!" Hibiki called out, waving jovially. "Did you save Pineapple man yet?"

She leapt to where the boy stood and whisked him out of the path of another fireball jutsu. The technique set the inn's front desk aflame.

"Shit!" Tayuya yelled as she deposited Hibiki in the corner. "Stay here! I've gotta put out the fire!"

_And kill the guy who's starting it. Shit, I didn't even see where he came from!_

The man perched at the edge of the Tayuya-shaped hole in the roof and started making hand seals before Tayuya chucked a kunai at him, forcing him to jump away.

She started to look around for a fire extinguisher when a wave of water crashed through the front door, taking it completely off its hinges. Tayuya gasped in shock before the water continued and doused the flames on the now-blackened desk.

She looked approvingly at the aftermath. It had cost the front door, but at least the place wouldn't burn down now.

She leapt up to the roof before they could destroy anymore of Mayuri and Chokichi's home and brought her flute back up. The song died on her lips.

Hunter-nin wearing the traditional animal masks had begun to flood the area, surrounding the inn in a show of deadly force.

A determined scowl covered Tayuya's sudden spike of fear, but she knew deep down that she'd never survive all these Jonin trackers. The only thing she could do now was give Ino and Temari a chance to escape.

"You bastards want me?" she called out, letting her rage build. She reflexively called for the power of her cursed seal, but was rewarded simply with a twinge of pain in her neck.

_Damn. No cursed seal to help me now. No Sakon, no Kimimaro, no Kabuto. I guess this is it._

"Stand down," one of the hunter-nin called. "Stand down and you won't be hurt."

Tayuya scoffed loudly. She could hear the insincerity in his voice. The lies. She'd listened to Orochimaru for too long not to recognize a lie when she heard it.

She realized briefly that Shikamaru never lied. Never led her on or told half-truths.

_I was truly lucky to have served him. And I am lucky to be the sacrifice so that he can live. It was an honor… Shikamaru-sama._

"You want me?" she repeated to the gathered shinobi. "Come and get me."

They never had the chance. A blade went through her gut from behind, emerging from her stomach. She glanced over her shoulder to see a birds mask and a single tuft of dirty blonde hair before the world was moving again.

The lines blurred as she felt her body accelerating, and then everything went black.

* * *

...

Yamanaka Ino ran for her life. It was all she could do for the bundle of battered, broken genius that was a heavy burden on her shoulder, and an even heavier one on her heart. She alone was responsible for making sure he stayed alive. Temari had abandoned the blonde to seek out Tayuya and rescue her from the attention her distraction had brought, leaving Ino to run for the Land of Frost's border on her own.

She kept her legs churning through the knee-high snow, ignoring the chill that was seeping into her bare skin. She wished desperately she had been wearing more than just a miniskirt and a revealing top, but there was no time to change into a snowsuit.

Ino felt her chakra reserves slowly draining from the strength it took to carry Shikamaru and bit back her regrets about using so much energy killing Goro. She could have taken him out with one quick strike to the throat. He was no ninja.

She pushed chakra to her limbs to warm and strengthen them, and then pushed the last dozen meters to the tree line before dumping Shikamaru unceremoniously to the ground.

She bent forward and put her hands on her knees, staring at the cuts and incisions covering his face, crisscrossing each other in a horribly consistent pattern. She felt bile rise in her throat.

The fight was lost before it even began.

When her sides had stopped heaving and she'd stopped spilling vomit into the snow, she fell on her backside and rested against a pine tree.

Temari had told her she could buy her ten minutes to reach the outlying forest. Ino had made it in six, which meant she still had three minutes to rest up before she had to rush to the border with Shikamaru in her arms and hunter nin on her tail.

Another glance at Shikamaru told her that he was nearly dead already. She didn't have quite the endurance to carry him all the way back to Konoha. She might make it to the border, but past that she was unlikely to go any farther. The Land of Hot Water still stood between her and the Land of Fire where she might be able to reach a platoon of ninja who would help her.

She needed something surer than that. She needed the person she could always trust to be there for her, no matter what. She needed her dad.

So she called out to him as she lay on the hard-packed snow, her legs and butt on the verge of freezing. She let her head fall back to rest on the tree, not caring about the bark getting stuck in her perfect platinum locks.

_Daddy! Help!_

The response was immediate.

_Ino?_

Relief flooded her heart and warmth spread through her at the sound of his voice. But worry laced the edges of his tone. She hadn't contacted him in weeks because Shikamaru thought the chakra usage would give her away. But he wasn't privy to that information and if Shikamaru was right, there was now a bright beacon of energy pointing right at her.

_Daddy, come and get me! _She cried out in her head before sending him mental images of Shikamaru's broken body and the Hot Water and Frost country's border.

That was all she had the energy to say. She broke off the connection with beads of sweat running down her face. Images were hard to send, but she didn't have time for an extended conversation.

She let her eyes fall shut amid the myriad of snowflakes and rested as long as she could.

* * *

...

The Korikage's scowl deepened as he felt a large burst of chakra well outside his mighty village's walls. It was bad enough that nearly a dozen ninja had just gone rampaging through his streets, but now at least one powerful chakra signature was doing … _something. _

He extended his consciousness out into the forest and pushed his chakra into the technique that he had not released since the creation of the village. Snowfall increased sharply as he poured in his chakra, and a grey scale image of a girl's face became clear as the flakes fell on her face, each one transmitting their precise location before melting away. Beside her was a bundle of rags and flesh that probably used to be her partner. She was escaping.

He assumed it to be the Suna nin, but quickly redacted that theory when he felt her familiar presence among his hunter-nin near the village's gates.

Concentrating harder, he formed a full image of the girl, and his eyebrow quirked upward. Whoever this kunoichi was, she was beautiful. A little young for his tastes, but very attractive nonetheless. He would definitely have remembered if she had entered his country's relatively small army.

_The Ame ronin? _He wondered quickly. _Why is she fleeing?_

Realizing that her flight must have something to do with the ruckus going on, he snapped his eyes open. The image of her pretty face faded from his consciousness as he made his way to the door. He'd find her and question her himself. No mistakes.

No sooner had he swung on his cloak than his most trusted jonin appeared behind him, already kneeling with his head raised.

"Hayato-dono," he addressed the Korikage by his name. "Goro-sama is dead. His body was found a few minutes ago. It appears to be a suicide, but…"

"Goro wouldn't kill himself," the Korikage muttered. _Especially with things going so well for him. Damn. He was a good business partner._

"No. And not so gruesomely either."

"I'll judge that for myself." The Korikage cursed inwardly, abandoning the idea of pursuing the Ame ronin. If Goro really was dead, that didn't bode well for Shimogakure or the Akatsuki. He had to see for himself.

"Kenta, send three tracker units to the southern forest. There are two ninja attempting to escape, though one of them seems to be incapacitated. Capture them at any costs, but I need them alive."

"_Hai_, Korikage-dono."

* * *

...

Pushing herself back to her feet, Ino lifted Shikamaru again and leapt up into the trees, ignoring the pricks of pain as she pushed past the needles. It was now her job to make it past the border.

A small team of ninja moving at top speed would take a day and a half to make it from Konoha to the Shimo border. In her chakra depleted state and carrying Shikamaru with her, it would take her at least that long to get to the border, especially having to duck and dodge tracking ninja. But the trackers would be able to fan out and search a large area a lot faster than she could run away. She needed a plan.

She couldn't look to Shikamaru for a strategy now, and she briefly wished that he would wake up with one of his foolproof plans already schemed up.

But she didn't have time to let her brain be lazy. She wasn't dumb, but far from it. Ino had graduated at the top of her class in every subject back in her academy days, and she was intensely proud of that fact. She wasn't as smart as Shikamaru, but she had an awesome brain and she'd be damned if she let these bastards out think her!

Her competitive fire swelled up and she glanced at the forest, trying to come up with some sort of overreaching strategy beyond running and hoping they didn't catch her. It wasn't easy. An irrational anger at Shikamaru swelled in her gut.

_How does he make it look so easy all the time? It isn't fair! I really have to try to come up with good plans!_

She pushed down on the swell of anger, but it lingered just a bit. She shot an angry glare at the battered ninja. Seeing him in such a pitiful state, however, instantly quelled her anger. But she'd never admit that to herself.

"I've been beat up before," she pouted to no one. "It's just too cold to stay angry is all."

She reflexively shivered again and felt goosebumps race up and down her arms. Snow still fell all around her and there was nothing to keep her warm save for Goro's blanket. She was loath to touch something that had been soiled so … frequently.

She thought of the tattooed woman who'd cursed Ino for losing her spot in the nights 'festivities' and scoffed.

_What I should do is burn the damn cover to ashes instead o f- _

It was at that precise moment, in the middle of that precise sentence, that an idea hit her so fully formed and complete that it felt like a physical smack to her face.

She glanced at Shikamaru's still, unconscious form, feeling like she'd ripped the thought directly from his supercomputer brain. It was at _that _moment that she realized the physical smack she felt was a gob of snow that had fallen onto her head from a branch above her.

_That wasn't anticlimactic at all,_ she thought sourly.

But even being smacked in the face by pure chance couldn't dim her excitement about just how _good _the idea was.

She leapt back to the forest floor, thankful for the first time ever that Asuma had taken to exploring their nature affinities before he died. Her specialization in her clan's hidden jutsu's had prevented her from truly mastering her particular inclination, but she had at least learned to manipulate it and learned a select few jutsus.

She smirked. For this, she'd only need the most basic one.

She formed a series of hand seals and poured her energy into her throat.

"Katon: Goukakyou no jutsu!"

A fireball poured forward from her mouth and crashed into the nearest tree, setting it aflame with ease. She smiled as she formed the hand seals once again, aiming at the next tree in line.

"Katon: Goukakyou no jutsu!"

* * *

...

Hayato stiffened as he felt his perception of the southern forest suddenly diminish. He glanced in the direction of the city's main gates, wondering what could possibly have wiped out such a large mass of snow so quickly. The snow itself was his own doing: a chakra-laden flurry that transmitted information to him constantly. Every footfall within a ten mile radius of his person was known to him. And now the ame nin was destroying his carefully maintained field of vision.

He kicked aside debris, pushing the thought from his mind as he descended into Goro's underground lair. To this day, he didn't understand why the paranoid man had insisted on such a strange base of operations, but it made little difference now as to why.

It only took a few seconds to make his way to the man's bedchamber and the sight he came across was one of the most gruesome he'd seen in all his years. A headless prostitute lay just inside the door, and beside her was a ninja that curiously bore an Iwagakure hitai-ate.

He hadn't been aware that there were Iwa nin in his village, and under Goro's employ no less. His face twisted into a scowl and he kicked the body that lay nearest to the bed in the center of the room. It had been stabbed dozens of times, apparently with the same sword still held in his right hand. His own blood covered his hand, as if he'd been stabbing himself the entire time.

_Not possible. Even I wouldn't survive long enough to stab myself that much …_

His eyes cast around the room for clues and settled on the sink where blood had stained the porcelain crimson.

"So the killer washed their hands of it."

He felt more than heard a presence behind him and turned just enough to confirm that it was Kenta.

"This is quite a mess," the dark haired jonin said to his Kage.

Hayato turned and appraised the man. His dark hair fell in measured locks, far too random to be a hairstyle and far too consistent to be accidental. His sharp young features were marred by a scar that ran from the bottom of his right eye to his chin, and his piercing blue eyes were focused on the Korikage.

Hayato acknowledged him with a grunt and marveled once more at how the young man consistently managed to avoid detection by his chakra snow. Kenta was the village's youngest jonin at only nineteen but he was easily the top ninja in the village, following Hayato himself. He was a true prodigy in a land where prodigies were exceedingly rare.

"Were you aware of Iwa nin in our village?" Hayato asked him quietly.

Kenta shook his head. "Maybe they were hiding underground," he joked.

Hayato just glared at him before crouching before Goro's corpse. "In all likelihood, Goro was using them to circumvent our deal."

Kenta quirked an eyebrow, and Hayato realized that Goro had been the only other person who'd known about his dealings.

"Goro was my contact to the shinobi underground. Did you ever wonder how our village had gotten so powerful in the last five years or so without anyone knowing?"

Kenta scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I wondered once or twice, but I never thought anything of it. We're pretty secretive and pretty far out of the way. I just assumed no one cared."

Hayato shook his head. "When I realized how poor our village was twenty years ago, I decided to do something about it. I traveled the world as a mercenary, taking every job I could find and saving every penny. Eventually I gained a bit of notoriety and was approached by Goro, who was a low level recruiter for the shinobi underground.

"Essentially, the underground is just a collection of lesser shinobi countries that are tired of the monopoly the great nations have on high-ranked missions. They put together teams of experienced men and women who undercut the great nation's prices for anyone who's lucky enough to know about them. Once I got involved, I was able to make a lot of money very quickly."

Kenta poked through the room, listening to his sensei's words with a sage expression covering his features.

"Goro essentially became my agent and before long, I was rich and had gotten very powerful. That was fifteen years ago. I came back to Shimogakure and used my wealth to build a new academy. Soon, people were lining up to let their children become ninja here. Even villages like Kusa and Tani were sending their students on "exchange programs." We had the best facilities and instructors outside of the great nations, and countries paid a premium to have their most promising students trained here."

Hayato picked up a foot-long strand of blonde hair from beside Goro's corpse and examined it in the light. His mind flashed to an image of a pretty girl's face in grayscale as his fingers absorbed the residual chakra from its user. _So Ame ronin killed Goro for his Akatsuki connection? That's … surprising._

"This slowly changed our village from a poor, rickety town to a force to be reckoned with. Yet still, because we are _beneath_ the great nations' notice, we were left alone. I was named Kage by our Daimyo and our forces grew quickly, but we couldn't sustain the village on the academy boom alone. We would either have to conquer nearby nations to make a name for ourselves and gain more land, or announce our availability like the great nations.

"Most of the advisors and the Daimyo himself wanted to take missions, but we weren't ready for that and I was the only one who knew it. I refused, and the Daimyo pulled his financial support for the academy."

Kenta looked up sharply from where he'd been ransacking Goro's dressers.

"I didn't hear about that! When did that happen?"

Hayato looked up, annoyance creasing his features. "Five years ago," he said flatly. _Hadn't he been listening?_

"When the Daimyo pulled the plug, I knew I had to act fast. He was trying to force me into taking missions to support our economy, but I had a trump card."

"Goro," Kenta whispered, looking at his mangled body. "You used the underground to get missions again without everyone knowing about it."

"Exactly. Goro was also connected to another group by then, the Akatsuki. It was a stroke of luck on my part. The Akatsuki wanted money and they had limited manpower, so when they were approached with a mission they were too undermanned to handle or required more subtlety than they felt capable of, they called Goro and he called me. They took twenty percent of the mission's profit and Goro got five himself, but the remaining percentage was just enough to keep the lights on at first. Then when Goro got a reputation for being reliable, they gave him bigger and bigger missions until he became their full-time partner."

Kenta nodded but still looked puzzled. "I still don't get what this has to do with Iwa nin."

"He was using them to complete missions so he didn't have to send them to me," Hayato said bluntly. _Sometimes, Kenta, I wonder what kind of genius you are …_

Kenta looked livid. It was a typical reaction coming from the fiery youth. "That backstabbing son of a-"

"Yeah, sucks doesn't it? And now I can't even punish him for it myself."

"We have to kill the Iwa nin!" the youth exclaimed. "That way we can feign messages from Goro and figure out what Iwa was trying to do-"

Hayato just shook his head. "No. I doubt they wanted anything but a share of the profit. Iwagakure has always been very practical and money-oriented. What I want you to do, Kenta, is something else entirely."

He handed the strand of platinum hair to his student. "I want you to go to Konoha and see if this belongs to any ninja there. It's probably too late to catch the girl since she's managed to destroy my snow in the southern forest, but if you _can_ find her, if she's not an Amegakure ronin after all … that changes things."

The two of them walked out of the underground lair, and Hayato formed a few quick hand seals. The ground beneath them quaked and his doton technique leveled the underground base. Goro's fortune was the Korikage's next target and he'd long known where the man kept his riches.

"Sensei?" Kenta said, looking curiously at the blonde strand. "What exactly changes? If the ninja are from Konoha, so what? They still burned down one of our villages."

"It isn't likely that they told on themselves while infiltrating our village," Hayato answered. "Meaning the Amegakure ronin were not who they claimed to be. They are likely either impostors who are trying to destroy Konoha or Konoha themselves."

"But why would Konoha burn down our village and then tell on themselves?"

"What I'm saying," Hayato replied testily, "is that it's unlikely that just two ninja burned down an entire village at all."

Kenta grasped ninjutsu so innately it was ridiculous, but sometimes he could be so _dense._

Hayato felt a northern breeze come to his cheek, and with it came the smell of burning wood. Both of them looked at the southern skyline where the ronin had fled to. Fire rose so high that it lit the bottom of the clouds a pale, flickering orange and the heat rolling off that area denied Hayato any semblance of a chakra signature.

_Could they know? No, they couldn't have. A coincidence ..._

"You were saying?" Kenta replied smugly.

Hayate took one look at the smirk on his face and turned away, storming up the street. Sometimes the boy was _insufferable_!

* * *

...

Ino watched the hunter-nin inspect the scorched earth around her. They walked right up to where she was hiding, and her heart pounded triple-time in her chest. Her breath was shallow and heavy, and she knew that it was a matter of time until they found out her chakra reserves were severely depleted after lighting most of the southern forest with basic Katon jutsus. If they didn't move on past her soon, she'd be caught for sure.

One of the ninja looked directly at her, his mask betraying none of the stern expression that she imagined was on his face. He was probably a cold faced killer, ready to rip her limb from limb.

She imagined her death at his hands over and over until … he sat on her.

She had henged herself and Shikamaru into the form of a charred log and now the boy had sat squarely on her ribcage She fought to keep still and from crying as he removed his mask.

Ino was tempted to sigh in relief, but doing so would give her away instantly. It was a boy under the mask, no older than fourteen or fifteen. Not some cold hard killer like she imagined a hunter nin to be. The rest of his unit joined him and when they removed their masks, they too were young, barely more than children.

"This one's good," a young girl said. "If we catch them, do you think we can beat 'em?"

Her short brown hair and fiery eyes reminded Ino of Tenten, and she wondered briefly if she'd have the heart to kill these children if it came to it.

"I don't know," the boy replied. "We'll just have to do our best to find them and capture them. That's what Kenta-sensei told me."

"Kenta, Kenta, Kenta," sneered another one with raven black hair. He might have rivaled Sasuke in looks were he a few years older. "That's all you talk about: your precious genius sensei. I don't care if he's the strongest ninja Shimo ever produced. My mom says he's an idiot, and I agree."

"Guys, can we just go?" the girl said. "I'm _tired_ of you arguing! We've got a job to do!"

They grudgingly agreed and the boy finally got up, relieving the crushing weight on her ribs. Ino almost fainted in gratitude, and she took a slow, deep breath, feeling the fresh air rushing back into her lungs.

Not a few seconds later, the four disappeared, and Ino released her henge. After giving them an hour or so head start, she picked up Shikamaru and leapt forward, realizing that now that she was behind the ninja, she couldn't keep lighting trees indiscriminately. Not that she had enough energy to do that, anyway.

She'd been running for the better part of a day now and was almost spent, but the border was so close…

The run fell into a predictable pattern and she kept up her pace, putting one weary foot in front of the other.

It wasn't long before she saw the trail that she and Shikamaru had walked two weeks before when they'd first entered the Land of Frost. If she could just get past the border patrol, she'd be home free.

Sneaking down the path proved to be fairly easy as there were plenty of shrubs and rocky outcroppings to hide behind. When she reached the high fence that lined the border in this area, she summoned the last of her chakra to her feet and leapt to perch atop it. She wanted to fall over the edge and pass out in the snow, but she couldn't relax yet. It was still at least half a day until her father could conceivably reach her. She had to keep going. But there was one last obstruction in her way.

"Hey! Stop right there!"

It was a voice she recognized.

The captain of the border patrol unit looked her in the eye as she glanced back at him, but ultimately did nothing as she leapt to the ground, too stunned by the desperation he'd seen to react.

"Captain!" she heard as she ran for the cover of the wooded area up ahead. "Should we go after her?"

A long pause followed, in which Ino only knew the thud of her footfalls and the weight of the boy on her shoulder.

"Captain?"

And another voice cut in. She recognized this one as well. The boy who looked like Sasuke.

"If you won't, we will." The malice in his voice was evident. Ino dropped Shikamaru and drew a kunai in one smooth motion.

She brought her weapon to bear just in time to deflect a hail of shuriken sailing toward her. One of them buried itself in Shikamaru's thigh through the cover, and Ino winced. She dragged Shikamaru backwards as the brown-haired girl attacked, fending her off as best she could while still covering her comatose teammate with her body as necessary.

The boy who'd sat on her drew a sword and slashed at her viciously, opening a deep cut on her ribs. She ignored the pain and worked through some hand seals before casting a quick genjutsu on him.

His body went lax, and in the instant it took his teammates to catch him before he fell to the ground, Ino hoisted Shikamaru onto her shoulder and leapt away, dashing as far and fast as she could. She pulled out the last soldier pill she had from her equipment pouch and dry swallowed it, feeling the bitter lump roughly go down.

By the time the hunter nin caught up, she was getting the feeling back in her extremities, and a surge of chakra, meager by her normal standards, rushed into her system.

She dumped Shikamaru once again and blocked another hail of weapons, glad to see there were only three nin this time. The boy still hadn't recovered from her genjutsu.

"Go home," she croaked at the children. Her voice was hoarse. She needed water. "You're too young to die here."

"And you're too far from home to be allowed to live," the dark haired boy said.

It was a surprisingly callous statement from someone so young, but he backed it up with a water-style jutsu that she was too slow to dodge and too weak to counter. She felt the crushing force of the technique slam her backward into the trees she'd so desperately had been trying to reach. She lobbed her kunai at him, more in defiance than retaliation.

It was too late, and she was too weak to take on three ninja, even if they were just kids. She wasn't much older than them, anyway. As the kunai sailed forward, she briefly considered giving up. The thought lasted as long as the kunai. The boy blocked it easily.

Shikamaru's battered body floated to Ino's feet on the dregs of the jutsu's current.

She wasn't just protecting her life. She was protecting Shikamaru's. The guy she'd known all her life. He'd been with her on the day she was born and she'd be damned if she wasn't going to be with his lazy ass on the day they both died unless it was a peaceful day on a hill near the Hokage Monument. She couldn't let him die. There was so much she still hadn't shown him. So much of her he still didn't know.

Ino crawled to her feet and climbed over Shikamaru's body on all fours, her last kunai held up defensively in front of her face. Her lips curled back, and a feral snarl rumbled from her throat.

"Come and get me," she growled.

* * *

_And there you have it! I tried to make the Shimogakure characters a little more human, since that's what Naruto's all about right? Diversity and awesome characters! This whole story's going sort of organically, just going where it wants to and im happy with that. every time i write a chapter, details change and though the overall direction is set, its moving on its own! like its writing itself! _

_Does anyone get the title of this chapter? I'll give you a hint, its from a stand up skit. Cookies to anyone who does!_

_Anyway, enough rambling! Can't thank Renting enough!_

l  
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	12. Homefront

**Chapter 12**

**Homefront**

Inoichi Yamanaka placed a gentle hand on his sleeping daughter's shoulder. She shifted slightly at the touch, trying to wriggle closer to this new source of warmth. She'd gone so far as to wrap her arms around his own and rest her head against his side when he patted her gently.

"Ino-chan," he whispered, "wake up. The nurses are getting impatient. They said we have to go."

Ino was instantly awake, glaring at him with bleary red eyes. "I'm _not_ leaving!"

She crossed her arms stubbornly and flopped her head back onto the side of Shikamaru's bed.

Ino had been laying beside the bed for the better part of three days, only leaving his side to relieve herself, and even only then when a nurse would promise not to leave before she returned. The fate that had befallen Shikamaru was unfortunate, but Inoichi was becoming concerned for his daughter. She wouldn't see sense, and as a father that usually only meant one thing.

He had been chasing boys away from Ino with a stick since she was young, but he simply didn't have the heart to forcefully tear her from Shikamaru's side. When he'd first seen the signs of her attachment and felt his fatherly instincts kick in, he'd felt like he was betraying Shikaku. He forced himself to accept that if Ino felt that way toward Shikamaru-kun, that was fine. He was a brilliant boy, if a bit lazy and unmotivated. The fact that he was already his best friend's son and thus knew to fear Inoichi only sweetened the deal.

But now, seeing Shikamaru like this - literally and figuratively torn to shreds - it made something in him hope that his daughter would be able to pick up the pieces of his shattered life and put them back together.

Strictly as a friend, of course.

In one of the worst cases of a ninja's mind being broken in Konoha's recent history, Hatake Kakashi had been subjected to three days of torture at the hands of Itachi Uchiha and his Mangekyou Sharingan's dojutsu. Shikamaru had been subjected to almost a week and a half of very real physical torture, powerful hallucinatory drugs, and mentally invasive genjutsu.

This made Kakashi's torture look like a walk in the park in comparison. The scars on his body were being healed on a daily basis by two of the best doctors in the history of medicine, Tsunade and Sakura. But the scars on his mind? Well… they were for Inoichi and Ibiki to try their hardest to remove. Tsunade had told him that there were limits to what medical jutsu could do to restructure a mind, and some things he'd have to figure out on his own.

The elder Yamanaka rubbed his large hand in small circles on his daughter's back, and he felt her begin to shake ever so softly as she cried again.

Inoichi sighed heavily, turning to the fourth person in the small intensive care ward. Choji Akimichi stared on at the scene as if it were straight out of a horror movie.

_Well_, Inoichi thought soberly, _in a lot of ways and for a lot of people, it is_.

It was a nightmare for Shikamaru, first and foremost, to have one of the village's and the world's brightest minds utterly destroyed by an experience like this. Likewise, it was a nightmare for Ino and Choji, his lifelong teammates, to be powerless to help him.

For Inoichi himself, it was a nightmare to respond instantly to the telepathic distress call Ino had sent him, taking up his old ANBU mask with Shikaku and Chouza, and rushing out without the support of the village to meet their children at the border of the Hot Water country. They had found her fending off a squad of hunter-nin, a kunai in her hand as she crouched over Shikamaru's battered body like a feral animal protecting her young. After making sure that none of the nin escaped, they had regrouped and carried the two at top speed toward Konoha.

Shikamaru had not yet woken, and only their duties to the Nara clan could pull Shikaku or Yoshino away from their son's bedside. The Nara was a large clan, however, and they upset the many nurses with their stream of unending visitors. It got so bad at one point that one nurse was captured with a Shadow Imitation Jutsu and walked into a wall to allow Ensui, one of Shikamaru's closest cousins, to enter unperturbed and leave the flowers and 'Get Well Soon' messages he'd been bearing from his family.

Inoichi had laughed heartily at that.

In the last day or so, the trickle of clan members had slowed, and the Yamanakas had begun to come visit him (and Ino by extension). They, however, were a much smaller clan, especially after the losses of Fu and Santa in the fourth World War, and thus they caused much less fuss.

Inoichi leaned back against the wall and glanced at his lifelong friend Shikaku, who was sitting in an uncomfortable chair with heavy bags under his eyes.

"You need to get some sleep, Shikaku. You look…" His sentence trailed off. However bad Shikaku looked, he knew the man would retort with something along the lines of, '_I'm better off than Shikamaru_.'

The elder Nara just huffed in acknowledgement and leaned his head against the wall behind him, closing his eyes. But Inoichi had been on far too many missions with Shikaku not to know that he wasn't really sleeping.

_Honestly, he probably couldn't bear looking at his son any longer._

Inoichi sighed, giving up on the idea of taking Ino home, and placed the four bentos he'd brought with him at the foot of the Nara's bed. He had just turned to leave when Tsunade strode quickly through the doors, Sakura and Naruto on her heels.

_Is it really that time already? _Inoichi looked at his watch, realizing that he was late for yet another appointment. He patted his daughter's head once more and whispered a few reassuring words before turning to Tsunade.

"Hokage-sama," he said with a polite bow before walking heavily from the ward.

* * *

...

"Yamanaka Ino!" Tsunade barked. "At attention!"

Ino snapped out of her dream. It was a pleasant one where she and Shikamaru were laying on his hill, amicably watching clouds on a lazy afternoon. She had never laid there to watch clouds with him before. Not once in all the time they'd been teammates.

_Some friend I was._

Outside of herself, her body moved mechanically and snapped to attention. "Hai, Tsunade-shishou."

"I've waited three days for your report, Ino-chan. I need to know what happened beyond just a written statement." Her voice had none of the edge, aggressiveness, or scorn it usually carried. Ino felt just a bit safer because of that and looked up at her.

"You don't understand, Tsunade-shishou. If he wakes up and I'm not here…" She let the sentence trail off. They all knew what would happen. In his brief spurts of semi-consciousness, the only thing he'd been able to do was thrash around and demand to see Ino. He wasn't stable without her around, and Ino couldn't let him go through that.

"I understand," Tsunade replied. "It's three o'clock, anyway; time for our healing session. Sakura will be removing any lingering drugs from his system, so I have a few minutes to spare. You can report right here."

Ino glanced at Choji's perturbed expression and Shikaku's analyzing gaze. "But what about…"

"ANBU has secured the room and swept it. No one can see or hear, and I don't mind if my senior Jonin advisor knows what occurred. I assume Choji will be told later, so no need to kick him out. Just tell me."

Ino nodded weakly. Sakura moved her and Choji away from Shikamaru's bedside before beginning her poison extraction behind the privacy veil.

Ino recounted the mission's events, including Shikamaru's capture and rescue. The only detail she left out was their kiss. Fraternization was strictly prohibited in the field, and she didn't feel like divulging any information that would get her court marshaled.

After she concluded her story, Tsunade sighed. "What concerns me is that Shikamaru intentionally blamed Konoha for the destruction of that village. Did he tell you why he did that?"

Ino's only response was to shake her head slowly. Whatever reasons for that were trapped inside that big brain of his.

"And you two weren't identified as Konoha nin at any time?"

Ino shook her head before a thought crossed her mind. "Shikamaru…he told them who I was while Goro was torturing him. I'm not sure what else he told them, though, and the person who was interrogating him is dead."

Tsunade sighed again, shaking her head heavily. "I'll have to classify this mission as a failure then. Sorry, Ino-chan. You two failed in all parameters."

Bile rose in Ino's throat at those words. She had failed. And Shikamaru had been tortured. To what end? So they could have a blight on their record? So they'd be reviled by the village? If a war started because of this, Shikamaru would be blamed. Isn't that what had driven Kakashi-sensei's father to suicide?

"One last thing. You're sure Tayuya is entirely loyal to Shikamaru?"

Tearing her mind from her train of thought, Ino went over their week's experiences. She knew that the best actors and insurgents would put their lives on the line for a mission - the redhead's fighting wasn't evidence enough - but the expression she had worn when she had been watching Ino fawn over Shikamaru was raw, unguarded. It wasn't enough on its own to earn her trust, but it certainly lent her credibility.

"As sure as I can be," she replied honestly. "However, I understand why you'd keep her in detention, since she helped with Orochimaru's invasion."

Tayuya had limped into the village the day before, claiming that Temari had saved her from the hunter nin-albeit in the most disrespectful language possible- and searching only for 'Shikamaru-sama's' whereabouts. She'd been immediately apprehended of course, being a former member of the Sound Four who'd attacked Konoha ruthlessly nearly five years ago.

Tsunade frowned at her apprentice. "Honestly, that was a long time ago. I'm not so sure if it's the right move. I'll wait until Shikamaru is stable to make a decision about that, but if she has changed, I certainly don't want her to develop feelings of animosity toward Konoha based on our treatment of her."

Shikaku spoke up from where he was listening in the corner. "I've yet to meet this girl, but if what Ino says is true, she's likely to be an asset we can use. The Nara clan will keep her under house arrest as a clan prisoner until Shikamaru can shed a little light on the situation. That should give you a legal loophole, and we will take care of her."

Tsunade nodded her thanks before turning to Naruto. "Are you taking notes, Naruto? These are sensitive issues. The major clans have their own special rights to prisoners that are exempt from the villages' laws unless they directly violate the clan's boundaries. That might get you out of hot water one day."

Ino blinked, not understanding why Tsunade was explaining something like clan rights to him. Naruto didn't have a clan. "Tsunade-shishou?"

"Yes, Ino?"

"Are you…" No. It couldn't be. Her mind refused to accept what the evidence was pointing to. Tsunade's understanding mood (which was extremely rare in Ino's opinion), Naruto's presence in an S-rank mission's classified debriefing, Tsunade explaining to him clan rules and regulations... That all meant… she was… "Are you…stepping down?"

Tsunade grinned. "Yes, Ino, I'm surprised you didn't hear it all the way in Shimo when this little runt went screaming down the street." She walloped Naruto on the head and he rubbed the back of his neck, smiling guiltily.

"What? I was excited, baa-chan…"

"I've already appointed Naruto as my successor. You're about the last person to find out."

Ino smiled at Naruto. It was the first time she'd smiled in a long time. The first time she'd smiled since…

She pushed it out of her mind. "Congratulations Naruto-kun!" she said. "You know, nobody believed you when you were pranking Iruka-sensei, telling everyone you'd be Hokage, but today it seems…" She trailed off, and the number one most hyperactive ninja looked at her quizzically.

"Seems what, Ino-chan?"

She smiled again, overtaken for a moment by the memories they'd shared growing up. Naruto had surpassed all what their wildest imaginations could come up with, but he'd remained the same single-minded but kindhearted boy.

"It seems fitting. Like deep down, I knew it would happen someday." She poked him in the stomach almost playfully. Almost. "Maybe its all the ramen you eat."

"Damn right it's fitting!" Sakura piped up from behind the veil.

Ino smirked at the tone of pride evident in the girl's voice. She didn't used to stick up for Naruto like that. Maybe he wasn't just her teammate after all.

But Naruto simply laughed, and it seemed like a foreign sound to Ino's ears. She maintained her smile, yet couldn't find it within herself to laugh with him. Not until Shikamaru could share in the laughter, too.

Their easy atmosphere was ruined when a panicky voice came from the other side of the privacy veil.

"Where's Ino?"

Ino's blood ran cold as her heart soared at the same time. Shikamaru was awake! And he was talking coherently! His words weren't slurred as they had been before, and Ino guessed that it was mostly the drug's influence that caused him to sound like that. But now his voice had an edge, like a frightened animal, and Ino's eyes met Shikaku's in an instant. She dove for the vei,l but Tsunade caught her arm and stopped her, motioning that she should wait and listen.

Ino reluctantly obeyed as Sakura tried to explain what was going on.

"She's-"

"No, I need Ino right now! Where is she?"

"Shikamaru, calm down."

"Who are you? Are you going to hurt me, too?"

"You know who I am, Shika-"

"KAGE NUI No-"

Ino ripped down the veil, having torn herself from Tsunade's grasp.

Shikamaru froze in the midst of activating one of his clan's most dangerous jutsu, his hands already having formed the rat seal that Ino had seen too many times to count.

"Ino," he said breathlessly, letting his hands fall back to the bed. He laid back and looked around the room to seeing Ino's and Choji's frightened faces, Tsunade and his father's stern, unreadable expressions, and Naruto and Sakura's sadness.

"Guys… where am I?"

"You're safe now," Ino said, her upper lip trembling and her eyes threatening to give way to the tears that she'd promised herself she wouldn't cry. He had almost attacked Sakura, viciously and without provocation. He hadn't recognized her until he'd laid eyes on Ino. _On her._ Like she was some sort of trigger that let him feel safe.

"Shikamaru, you're safe," Sakura said, unable to completely still her trembling hand. "I'm trying to heal you. Tsunade's here, too."

He blinked, glanced down at his hands, and looked back up at Sakura as if just now realizing what he'd done. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I don't know what…I didn't recognize you…"

"It's okay," she whispered, pushing him back on the bed with a gentle hand. "Just lay down. I have to finish."

She tried to resume working, but Tsunade strode over and grabbed her trembling hands with her own.

"Steady," Tsunade said quietly.

Sakura nodded and took a deep breath as Ino quietly slipped her hand into Shikamaru's.

His grip was surprisingly strong, considering that only three days ago his arm had been completely dislocated. Sakura and Tsunade had healed him incredibly well in Ino's opinion, and while she was Tsunade's apprentice just as much as Sakura was, she realized she was nowhere near her equal in medical ninjutsu.

It triggered a pang of regret that the knowledge of her clan's specialties couldn't quite overcome, and she tracked the source to Asuma-sensei's final words to her. She'd burned them into her memory, and they floated to her mind with ease, bringing a sickening feeling of failure with them.

_Ino. You're strong willed, dependable and responsible… Choji and Shikamaru, they're total goof-offs. Keep them in line. And don't let Sakura beat you in ninjutsu or romance._

She couldn't help but feel that she had failed her sensei in every respect. Shikamaru was torn to bits, and Choji was just as likely to goof off as he was two years ago when those words were uttered. Sakura was leagues ahead of her in her medical justu and had the next Hokage's heart wrapped around her finger if she so much as uttered the word.

And what did _she_ have to show for two years of training, war, and missions? She glanced at Shikamaru without knowing quite why and he caught her gaze, staring into her eyes as Sakura slowly healed him. His breath would hitch every few seconds, but he didn't remove his gaze from hers and a tiny part of Ino voiced its approval.

A much larger part of her agreed that snaring Shikamaru would at least balance out Sakura having Naruto before she had a chance to curb those mutinous thoughts. Just a few years ago, that kind of sentence, once voiced, would send her and the pinkette searching for the nearest bottle of mouthwash, but now…now it seemed… fitting.

She bit her lip, realizing that she'd thought the exact same thing about Naruto becoming Hokage simply because deep down she'd always believed it would happen. Did she have the same feeling about Shikamaru?

They stayed like that for a long time. Sakura silt the poisons in his veins and gently drew them out through the cuts still unhealed in his skin, Ino held his hand, wincing slightly when he'd squeeze her small fingers tightly, Choji watched Shikamaru's progress with a forlorn expression, completely ignoring the bento within arm's reach, Shikaku quietly gazed not on Shikamaru, but on the object of his fixation, and Tsunade and Naruto watched Sakura work with grim expressions on their faces.

It wasn't until Sakura finished her work and both her and Shikamaru sighed in relief that Tsunade stepped forward.

"Is it all out?" she asked Sakura.

The pinkette nodded slowly and relaxed against the wall behind her. It was draining work to remove poison like that. If not for the cuts, it would have been a very painful process for Shikamaru as well.

Tsunade nodded in approval. "Ino, if you feel up to the task, you can close the rest of his wounds and begin healing the scar tissue. I don't believe he'll want any reminders. Everyone else, we need to give him room to rest."

Ino smiled at Tsunade gratefully, and the Hokage stared pointedly at Shikaku. "And some of us need to rest ourselves. I can't have our top jonin dying of sleep deprivation."

He nodded slowly and heaved himself out of the chair, putting his hand on Shikamaru's shoulder. "You rest up, son. Your mother will be by later to see you. We're proud of you."

Shikamaru just nodded without opening his eyes. Shikaku followed the rest of them out of the room.

Ino stood and looked through bleary eyes at the cuts and scars that crisscrossed his body. The deep wounds had already been healed and most of the remaining incisions were barely more than skin deep, but they would still take a significant amount of time to heal.

Ino didn't mind. She set to work, her hands glowing with warm green chakra above his chest. She worked slowly, and as the sun began to set behind the horizon she finished the closing the last of his cuts. Yoshino came and went, watching the girl repair her broken son and how she took great care to make each scar disappear as if he hadn't been tortured at all. He didn't deserve to remember that.

She took a short break to eat one of the bento, feeding him what little he would eat before resuming her work, tearing down the scars and reconstructing the skin naturally. Each time she did, the skin was a bit lighter: just enough to be noticed, but not different in texture at all. _It'll disappear with a little sun, _she decided.

She continued her work with an easy silence between them, her hands moving over him until his entire upper body was free of scars. He'd fallen asleep again. It was his body and mind's way of working hard to repair themselves. She smiled at him, letting the chakra flow stop and setting her hand on his chest. He stirred slightly at the touch and his head flopped toward her. The smile fell away as she ran her index finger along the pale remnants of his scars.

"Shikamaru…" she whispered, "I promise I'll tell you when you're all better…"

Her heart pounded as she thought of the words: three small syllables that were the difference between a happy life and a bitter death. The words she'd always known were true, but never allowed herself to admit. She'd come dangerously close to never ever being able tell him, and it made her realize how foolish she had been.

"I promise you'll know… that I love you."

"That's some pretty heavy stuff, Ino-pig. Neji might be jealous."

Ino leapt up so quickly her chair toppled over behind her with a crash and Shikamaru jerked awake.

"Forehead! You were listening in on me!"

"I know your secret!" Sakura sing-songed as she danced out of reach of the blonde's feeble attempts to capture her.

"It is not a secret! I mean ,it _is_, but not like _that_!"

Sakura ducked behind an empty bed, ready to dash in either direction if Ino tried to come around to get her.

"You can't tell anyone!"

Sakura stuck out her tongue and Ino leapt over the bed, determined to rip it out of her mouth. Sakura went under it.

_**Stop it! You won't catch her! You're chasing a damn ninja!**_

_What do you care? You're a ninja, too! She's gonna tell!_

_**Let her go ahead and tell! Are you embarrassed?**_

Ino blushed hotly, perturbed by her overactive thought process. She ceased chasing Sakura and went back to Shikamaru's bedside in a huff, righting her chair and sitting down with her arms folded crossly. No sooner had her hand wrapped around his than he fell asleep, and she watched his breathing slow until it was deep and steady.

Sakura went back over to the second bed and began rolling it toward Shikamaru's bedside.

Ino rolled her eyes. "I'm not chasing you anymore, forehead. You don't have to keep a bed between us."

"Shut up, Ino. This isn't to keep you away from me. It's so you don't get back problems sleeping in here. I know you aren't leaving, so I'm giving you this bed to lie on." The pinkette snickered at her. "And since you want to hold hands with your little _fawn,_ I figured I'd put it next to his."

"Don't gimme that fawn crap!" Ino said, standing and moving her chair so the bed could be pushed right up to Shikamaru's. "I saw the way you were looking at Naruto!"

It was now Sakura's turn to blush, and she offered a feeble, halfhearted protest. Ino let go of Shikamaru's hand reluctantly, but quietly she was glad that she wouldn't be sleeping on the hard chair and grateful for her friend's consideration.

"Thanks," she said quietly, looking up at her lifelong friend. "For everything. They told me he wouldn't have made it if it weren't for you."

She wrapped the other girl in an awkward hug. Sakura's arms went around Ino's small frame to rub her back gently.

"No problem." The pinkette looked at the ground awkwardly, kicking her foot at a suspicious looking tile. "I know you'd do the same for me if…"

Ino looked up curiously, wondering if Sakura would finally admit the new crush she'd been hinting at since… well, since _Sasuke_. It just _had _to be Naruto

"Just if, " Sakura finished, picking up a pillow from a chair behind her and placing them on the bed. "Goodnight, Ino."

"Hey pinkie! You can't just run away; you were gonna tell me who you like!"

But Ino was yelling only at Sakura's retreating back as her friend ran from the room.

"Ino," Shikamaru said quietly behind her, peering at her over the edge of his pillow. "What secret is she talking about?"

Ino woke up to pale moon light pouring through the window of the intensive care ward. She wasn't aware of why she had awoken, but she was very conscious of one thing. She was cold. The only part of her that was warm was her right hand, which was still holding Shikamaru's hours after they had fallen asleep.

Ino smirked as she glanced at him. He was still lying in the bed beside hers with the same blank expression he liked to wear during his waking hours_. The only difference is that his eyes are open when he's awake_, Ino remarked to herself. _It's like the rest of his face wishes it was still sleeping._

She found this funny, and only his uncomfortable shift could make her stop shaking with silent laughter. But humor, as welcome as it was after the most stressful week of her life, was not warming her and she drew the thin sheets tighter around her. Shikamaru mimicked her motion and she peered curiously at him.

Was he cold, too? She lifted her cover off of herself, grimacing as the night air brushed against her bare legs, and draped it over him instead. He pulled it in quickly, letting go of her hand to hunker down into the warmth it offered.

Ino rolled out of bed and closed the offending window. Turning around, she peered at the walls, looking for a thermostat to raise the temperature. Finding none, she considered calling a night staff member to fix the problem, but the noise would probably wake Shikamaru and she'd be kicked out. No, it was better to go to the storage closet and get some extra blankets herself. Shikamaru was asleep. It couldn't hurt.

Ino walked over to his bedside, her heart thundering at what she was about to do. It didn't faze her that she was about to leave his side and when he last woke up without her, he'd attacked one of his lifelong friends. No, her heart was pounding because she wanted to kiss him on the cheek before she went, like a silent promise to return.

She bent closer and froze when her lips were just inches from his forehead. What if he woke up? What would he think? She hadn't told him her secret earlier. Would this just give it away? No, she couldn't risk that. Ino stood quickly and rushed out of the door, resolving to simply return quickly. She knew where the closet was and it would only take a few minutes.

As she passed some of the night staff, they greeted her with a friendly wave but quizzical expressions. Ino could almost hear them wondering why she was there so late. Ino rarely stayed in the hospital until the middle of the night, preferring to focus her training in her family's jutsu rather than advancing her medical skills to Sakura's level.

She rushed past them, keeping her pace quick as she made her way to the storage closet the pinkette had undoubtedly raided to bring her the cover earlier. No sooner had she grabbed a few more sheets and started back than she heard a blood-curdling shriek coming from the ICU.

Her blood ran cold, and she almost dropped the blankets. She dashed back to Shikamaru's room and yanked open the door.

"Where's…" Shikamaru stopped in mid-shout as he laid eyes on her, holding the covers in a messy bundle. "Ino."

Ino looked at him in horror. His hands were still guiltily formed the bird seal and a night nurse was standing, paralyzed, in front of him with a shadow jutting sickeningly out of her forearm. Blood was pooling behind her, and Shikamaru's shadow retreated as the nurse fell to the floor.

"Ino, I didn't know…she was attacking me and-"

Another nurse rushed into the room and took in the scene with a frightened look at Ino.

"It's not what it looks like –" Ino tried to explain, but the nurse had already rushed over to Shikamaru's side.

"Lay down," she instructed, her voice quavering slightly. "Please."

He obliged and she produced a needle filled, Ino assumed, with a sedative.

"No!" Ino cried. "He's been dr-"

But Shikamaru's scream drowned her words out as he thrashed around violently, trying to swat the needle from her hand. The nurse dodged his swipe and jabbed the needle into his arm, pumping the drug into his system. Ino smacked her as hard as she could.

She realized rather belatedly that as a ninja who had honed her body all her life into a killing machine, that was rather excessive as the nurse flew bodily into the wall behind her and fell to the ground.

Shikamaru ceased thrashing and began falling into a fitful sleep, courtesy of a hypodermic full of midazolam.

The nurse rose shakily to her feet, eyeing Ino with an expression of fear and anger. Ino glared daggers at her before turning to the injured nurse. Shikamaru's Kage Nui had torn through her right arm, leaving a hole the size of a coin. Fortunately the damage wasn't extensive nor in any way fatal. Ino called her chakra into her palms once again and began healing the woman, shooting evil glares at the nurse she'd slapped into next week. It didn't take long before the head resident showed up and took stock of the situation.

He turned to Ino for an explanation, but she far outranked him and would give him nothing of the sort. "Call Tsunade-shihou," she told the man. He scratched his head nervously as Ino stared him down, daring him to challenge her.

"But it's late. The Hokage shouldn't be-"

"This is a special case, I'm sure she will agree." Ino said this with a little more acid in her tone than she intended, but it had the desired effect. The man didn't want to argue with a well known kunoichi, especially when she seemed this angry. He set his eyes on the nurse still rubbing her cheek in the corner.

"Hey, what are you doing over there? You heard the woman! Get the Hokage and bring her here!"

The woman rushed from the room, her fearful eyes never leaving the blonde kunoichi. The doctor breathed a sigh of relief as she left, and Ino couldn't fault him. When it was likely that the messenger would be shot, it was beneficial to _not _be the messenger. Delegation of responsibility could be a good thing at times.

Ino had just finished healing the nurse's arm when Tsunade stormed into the ward, looking like she was ready to take a head. She glanced from the now comatose Shikamaru on the bed, to Ino standing nervously beside the healed nurse, to the puddle of blood that was on the floor, and finally to the head resident where he sat in the corner. Everything except Ino withered under her gaze.

"What is going on here?" she demanded, looking straight at her apprentice.

"Tsunade-shihou, I believe Shikamaru is suffering from acute post-traumatic stress disorder. Every time I leave him, he thinks…" Ino's composure broke as she struggled to spit out the conclusion she'd come to earlier. "He thinks he's being tortured again, no matter who is around him. He doesn't seem to recognize who people are or where he is. I believe I'm some sort of trigger for him." Her traitorous eyes welled with tears and she looked at the floor, unable to look at her teacher.

"When he sees me, he calms down. I don't know why."

Tsunade's mood softened again and she looked at the wall before rubbing her eye. "Still have sleep in my eye," she muttered.

_Getting sleep out. Of course. It was late._

Tsunade sighed heavily and strode over to the pool of blood. Ino had never seen it herself, but she knew there was a time when her sensei would have been reduced to a whimpering mess at the sight of so much blood.

"I assume your injury was caused by the patient," Tsunade said to the nurse, eyes still focused on the puddle of crimson liquid.

The nurse nodded slowly.

"Take one week paid leave to heal. Report back directly to me when you feel better."

"Hai," the young woman said, bowing politely as she rushed out of the room. Tsunade turned to the head resident and he stood quickly.

"Leave. You aren't needed."

He stared in surprise for a bare second before he too rushed out of the room, leaving Tsunade alone with her apprentice.

"Ino," she said, finally looking at the girl. Ino kept her eyes on the floor, trying to remain calm and collected.

_Get a hold of yourself, girl. You're falling apart!_

"Ino," Tsunade repeated.

Ino looked up at her and tried her hardest to keep her lip from shaking. "Can you heal him? Like you did Kakashi?"

Tsunade sighed and walked to Shikamaru's bedside. The sannin glanced over the medical data pouring from the machines attached to his body in various places and shook her head slowly. "One of the nurses sedated him?"

Ino nodded. "I tried to stop her."

"It's not your fault. She couldn't have known that Sakura just finished getting the drugs out of his system. It's frustrating, though. Neither his body nor his mind will heal as well in a forced sleep. If you'd been keeping up with Sakura, you'd know that attempting to heal the mind in a drugged state may fix the damage, but only in that state, meaning he'd only be normal under the influence of that particular drug. In other words, you create an addict. I can't do anything now except draw the sedatives from his system again… but..."

Ino looked over Shikamaru's limp form, feeling panic set in. 'But' was bad. In medicine a 'but' was everything; the difference between life and death. As in, "The surgery was successful '_but_' there were unforeseen complications and you're going to die." Shikamaru didn't need complications. He needed Tsunade to heal him!

"But," Tsunade continued, staring straight into Ino's eyes, "all of his wounds are closed. The toxin removal is extremely painful through unbroken skin. If he _is_ suffering from PTSD, the last thing we want to do is cause him pain while he feels he is in a safe zone. There's no telling how he'll react."

"What does that mean, Tsunade-shishou?" Ino asked, her voice a bit stronger now that they were focusing on a subject she was familiar with. "We have to wait for his body to cleanse itself?"

Tsunade looked at her approvingly. "That's one way to do it. It's probably better than what I had in mind, actually. You do realize, though, that you'd literally have to spend every moment with him for several weeks."

In fact, Ino _hadn't_ realized that. And if today was any proof, she couldn't trust him to be out of her sight for more than a few seconds before he was liable to try and fight his way to her. If he were awake, she was absolutely sure the word "troublesome" would be uttered from his lips.

But it was for Shikamaru's own good. She had seen Sakura extracting the drugs through open cuts, and that had been painful enough. She didn't want to imagine what that would be like with no orifices to push the sedative out of. No matter how troublesome, she was sure he'd do the same for her (albeit with a massive amount of grumbling and complaining) were their roles reversed.

"Whatever it takes," Ino said, steeling her gaze and locking it with the Godaime's eyes. "I'll do whatever it takes."

Tsunade nodded again, smiling knowingly at the younger blonde who blushed furiously. "Fine. I see no other reason to keep him here. He would be best served being at home with his parents. If he can relax around either of them, it'd give you a bit of breathing room. This will be written officially as a D-rank mission, so if anyone asks questions, you'll have papers."

Ino bowed low as she acknowledged this. "_Gomen_, Tsunade-shishou."

The sannin then performed a few quick hand seals before pressing two fingers to Shikamaru's left wrist. A seal appeared instantly, etching itself into his skin before fading to a mere outline.

"What did you do?" Ino asked suspiciously, eying her teacher warily.

"No loyalty above your loyalty to him, huh?" Tsunade chuckled. "I just sealed his tenketsu with a special seal of mine. When I determine he's not a danger to attack anyone else, I'll remove the seal and he'll be able to use ninjutsu again."

"Oh." Ino relaxed, understanding the inescapable logic of the situation. He'd already attacked two people, one of whom he should have recognized. She didn't like the idea of a Shikamaru who was practically useless in a fight, but then again, his best weapon had always been his brain and in his current state he was fairly useless to everyone.

Tsunade put her hand on the boy's forehead, and Ino felt her chakra flare just a little before she drew her hand away. Shikamaru's fitful turning subsided and his breath came deeper and slower.

Ino was amazed once again by this woman's skill and she knew she was gaping. "How did you do that?"

Tsunade's lips pulled into a tight smile and she shook her head. "I didn't do anything."

She pointed at Shikamaru's hand, which had reached out and latched on to Ino's again. Ino's surprise must have registered on her face because Tsunade chuckled quietly. She hadn't noticed him hold her hand. It seemed so natural that she'd accepted his touch without realizing it.

"I think Shikamaru will be okay in the long run, Ino," Tsunade said quietly. Her smile had reached her eyes, which were arched gently. The aura that was radiating from her could only be described as happy. "Love is often the best medicine."

Ino blushed furiously. "Wait a minute. You don't think-"

"No, I don't _think_, Ino. It's as obvious as the reaction you're having now."

Ino drew her hand back and opened her mouth to protest, but Tsunade held up her hand to silence her. "Don't feed me any 'he's just a friend' bull. I've heard it as many times as I've said it myself. I just want you to know you shouldn't hold back. His job is a dangerous one, and if he dies or comes back changed one day..." She looked at him with a pained expression. "You'll only regret what you could have done when you had the chance."

Ino nodded. She had figured this out just a few hours before, but hearing it from the Hokage herself reinforced it. "I know," Ino replied meekly, letting her hand fall back to meet his. Her thumb ran absently over the seal, feeling its cool, smooth texture compared to his warm skin.

"I was in love once, too," Tsunade said, sounding much less relaxed. "I wasn't much older than you, and we decided to get married. Then once day… he didn't come back. Come by once everything has settled down and your mission is complete, and I'll tell you about it."

Tsunade turned and strode to the door, but stopped when she reached the entryway. "Ino, one last thing… Shikamaru is one of the ten most important shinobi in the village, as hard as that might be to believe. Your mission includes keeping him safe… even if it's only from himself."

* * *

...

Temari let the front door to the inn fall shut behind her, and sagged against it as she slid down to the floor. She let her face fall onto her knees as she tried to hide from the bitter cold that now plagued the interior of the inn as well.

_Damn Tayuya_, she thought. _Had to drag her fight all the way across fucking town, didn't she?_

The blonde glanced up at the enormous hole in the roof that one of the girl's Doki had made while fighting the Iwa nin three days ago. Mayuri and Chokichi didn't have the money or strength to fix it, and, as the ambassador from Suna, Temari sure as hell wasn't going to get her hands dirty with that crap either. She'd much rather go stay in the Ambassador's tower under the Shimo prefecture's constant supervision.

_Tayuya_… No one had thought kindly enough to explain how the bitch had survived all this time. After a week of running around planning Shikamaru's rescue, maintaining the holding pattern she was keeping the Shimogakure political system in, and finally ushering the three ninja out of town, nobody told her how it was that she hadn't killed the girl five years ago.

She remembered the day in the forest when she'd rushed to Shikamaru's aid. She remembered it like it was yesterday because frankly, Tayuya _should _have been the first person she'd killed. She'd had nightmares about it. Nightmares about being the person trapped under all that falling lumber. Nightmares about Shikamaru stabbed through the throat by a horned redhead.

"So how the fuck did I get here all this time later to find her serving Shikamaru's fucking tea?"

"You say that a lot."

"Eh?"

Hibiki tugged on her sleeve, and Temari looked down to meet his big, innocent, brown eyes.

"Hey, Mean Lady? What's a fuck?"

Temari was almost surprised enough by the question to show it. For a runt he was pretty perceptive. _It can't hurt to explain this to him. He's gonna find out one day isn't he?_

"A fuck is when-"

"Hey look, Mayuri-chan! Visitors!"

Temari groaned as loudly and obnoxiously as she possibly could. When she saw Shikamaru again, she was going to _kill _him for this.

* * *

_A/N: Not much to say except how great you guys all are. I always update when i get 100 hits or 5+ reviews and you guys did that in just over 24 hours. That, plus the fact that this is officially my most reviewed story now at just over halfway through means a double-update cookie for you guys! I have a few chapters backed up anyway so here you go! Paperazzi 0uT!_

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	13. Probably

_A/N: Okay, who has TWO THUMBS and deleted their entire hard drive? Me that's who! Lucky for you guys i had two chapters in my inbox l but i've got to re write about 3,000 words of #15...booo...wish me luck. I just hope it doesnt turn out worse than the original..._

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**Proabably**

Shikamaru rolled toward the warmth in his hand. It was Ino. It had to be. Nothing else could feel like that. He grabbed at it to pull it closer, and something amazing happened. It got _even warmer_ and _more comfortable_! He was safe. Safe from Goro, safe from the cuts, the stabs, the burns, the pain as long as he had Ino. Safe.

And then he was falling. Falling into a dingy hole in the ground. Akamaru licked his face and he pushed the white furred ninten off of him, clawing his way to his feet.

_Akamaru? But where's Kiba?_

The dog had no answer. He simply barked and waved his tail amicably. Shikamaru followed it deeper into the forest - _wasn't I just underground?- _and came across a battlefield. He leapt over bodies, ducking as kunai flew close overhead, and powered forward on his way to the trench that Konoha was using for cover. He slammed down between Kiba and Hinata, the former petting Akamaru excitedly.

'You saved him? Good boy!'

His words sounded like they were coming from far away, though the Inuzuka was clearly right beside him. It didn't make sense that he heard that soft sound over the raging din of the battle right over their heads, either. As if to accentuate his point, an explosion sounded just behind their heads and yet he still heard Kiba heaping praise on Akamaru.

Another explosion sounded, this one not ten feet away from them. Shikamaru shielded his eyes from the blast. He opened them again, seeing spots as a large weight settled in his lap.

Blue hair splayed across his legs. Hinata stared up at him, her pale eyes blank and lifeless.

"Hinata!" tunnel Kiba cried, hauling her limp body from his lap. "What did you do? You attacked her, didn't you?"

"What? No!"

"You attacked her!"

"I didn't!" he protested, trying to make Kiba see the truth. "I didn't do anything!"

Shikamaru slammed his hand on the wooden table in front of him, staring up at Kiba where he sat. The Hokage's hat was in front of him on the courtroom's dais. Naruto glared at him from his position at Kiba's right and Ino sat quietly at his left.

"Ino, you have to believe me!" he cried, appealing to her. She would make him safe. She would rescue him.

But she turned away, her beautiful blue eyes clouded with doubt. "You forgot something, Shikamaru."

And instantly his arms were shackled. They lifted him by his shoulder, and he screamed in pain. They were cutting him, stabbing him... he was falling again…

"Shikamaru?"

It was a whisper: frightened, soft, and closer to him than he would ever think it might originate in his wildest fantasies. As he woke up and the chains fell from his wrists, it comforted him. She was still there. She was so… warm.

"Ino?"

Shikamaru's heart thudded against her back. His left arm was draped around her middle, and she held his hand snugly to her chest. His right arm was sticking out over the edge of the small bed with her head resting gently on it.

Shikamaru wasn't a total virgin, but he'd be lying if he said that wasn't the most intimate position he'd ever found himself in. She had to hear his heart hammering at his ribcage like it was trying to escape. If he could see his face, he knew it would be beet red.

This was Ino! Her golden hair was splayed across him, right underneath his nose. The smell of the shampoo she'd used since she was ten was filling his nostrils right now. There could be no mistaking it.

"Ino."

"Shikamaru? Are you okay?"

He hesitated to ask himself the question. Was he okay? He didn't really know. It was actually quite a confusing question, and the worst part was the logical part had a sound answer.

The logical part of him said that he was in a hospital with half a dozen machines rigged to make a _lot _of noise if he up and died, which meant that there was at least a remote possibility that he _would _randomly croak. He'd just woken up from a nightmare in which a ghostly version of the woman in front of him had…what had she done again? He hated dreams. It was something bad anyway; that much he remembered. Not to mention the fact that he had a headache from the drugs they'd used to sedate him after he'd attacked an innocent nurse before blacking out.

No, the logical part of him wasn't confused.

It was the other part of him that wanted to sing and dance –and Shikamaru did _not _dance- because the woman he thought he could never have was snuggled against him, nearly overriding every rational thought that existed in his head.

His mouth moved before he could stop himself. "Yeah, I'm fine."

_Stupid! Why did I say that? I meant no!_

"Oh," Ino replied, accepting his answer. She was clearly only half awake, but she turned her head slightly so she could peer at him through one half open eye.

_Kami, _she had no idea what she was doing to him. Her perfect features were so close to his eyes that with such proximity, he couldn't help but stare. Her skin was perfect and smooth, unblemished as it drew a canvas across her soft jaw line. Her full lips moved ever so slowly as they breathed out the next few words, and he couldn't take his eyes off of them.

"Shikamaru, why…why are you holding me like this?"

Shikamaru had to repeat her question in his head to understand what she meant. Her tone betrayed no anger or discomfort with the idea, only curiosity and a little apprehension. It didn't stop his mind and his male hormones from engaging in yet another war.

She wouldn't be asking the question unless she really needed to know, he reasoned, and that could mean that she was merely acquiescing to what he wanted because of his pitiful condition. _OR_, his hormonal impulses yelled_, it could mean that all I had to do to have what I wanted all this time was reach out and grab it._

He wanted to dismiss this. The logical part of him yelled that it was impossible for her to like him because it contradicted his mother. A part of him had acknowledged that his mother was universally correct a long time ago, and he was loath to argue the point.

But that simple logic didn't stand up to the fact that Ino was now in his arms, filling both his nose with the scent of her hair and his mind with a new argument every time she moved.

"Because..." He searched for the answer and when he found it, it honestly scared him.

What he said was, "I was cold."

"Cold?" she repeated, the disappointment evident in her voice. She laid her head back down, looking away, and the disappointment in her next words tore at his conscience. "Are you warm then?"

"Yeah," he replied. She sighed heavily, and his mind and hormones screamed in unison to say something—anything—that would make her happy at that very moment. Her hand loosened its grip on his and he sucked up his pride and courage for a single sentence.

"And…" he didn't know what he should say. What would make her happy? What answer did she want? He honestly didn't know. It wouldn't make sense to lie because if the truth was what she wanted, it'd only make the situation worse. And if a platitude was what she wanted, she couldn't well be angry with him for telling the truth.

"And I felt alone."

He honestly could have never anticipated what happened next. She pulled away, turning over to face him, her brows brought together in anger.

"Then why did you kiss me? Was it because you were lonely? 'Cause I'm not some little teddy bear that you get to sleep with till you feel better about yourself!"

He honestly didn't know how to react to her sudden outburst. He blinked stupidly, wishing he could do something more impressive or cool, but her blue eyes were drawing him in and nothing else in the room was in focus. It was much worse than before. Before the focus had been Ino, but now…now Ino was his world.

* * *

...

Ino glared daggers at Shikamaru. How could he? How could he take advantage of her while she was sleeping? Just because he was cold? What was she, a furnace? She was already sleeping in this uncomfortable hospital bed, vowing to not leave his side for weeks until the Hokage could heal him properly, and he repaid her by using her as his personal electric blanket?

Her hand started to let go of his, and she resigned herself to roll back to the other bed when his warm breath blew against the back of her neck and sent shivers down her spine. It made her hesitate, and she was glad she did.

"And," he said, his voice sending another warm brush of air across her ear. He paused for almost half a minute. Much longer than the standard four or five second Shikamaru pause.

"And I felt alone."

Her heart melted, and she squeezed his hand tightly once more. She felt her cheeks burn and realized she was smiling and blushing at the same time. But she didn't have time to feel good. She needed answers, damnit!

She whirled around, glaring daggers at him.

"Then why did you kiss me? Was it because you were lonely? 'Cause I'm not some little teddy bear that you get to sleep with till you feel better about yourself!"

He blinked stupidly, and she fought herself to keep the frown on her face. He was so cute when he didn't know what to say as opposed to when he thought he knew everything, in which case the expression he wore was simply _infuriating_.

But now, she stared at his shocked expression and realized that he no more knew why he'd kissed her than she knew what had possessed _her_ to kiss him in the first place. The only thing she could tell from his expression (which wasn't much as usual) was that he hadn't done it for the reasons she'd thought.

He wasn't looking at her body and his hands weren't groping everything they could reach. Hell, his member wasn't even erect, and Ino hardly had to lay with a guy to make that occur most of the time. He was staring right into her eyes with something akin to wonder in his coal black irises.

It made her feel small and insignificant, yet immensely important all at the same time, and she loved every bit of it.

Before he could open his mouth and say something both incredibly intelligent and incredibly stupid to ruin the mood, she pulled him close. Or rather, by tugging on his body, she pulled herself into his chest. Her ear pressed against him and she heard his heart thudding loudly.

_Really, Shikamaru? Really? Have you even _been_ this close to a girl before? _She wondered, a satisfied smile finally crossing her lips. _Who's got their paws on him now, Temari?_

His arms wrapped around her and she felt him sweep her tiny body into his embrace. His chin rested on the very top of her head, and it felt so warm and loving and _right_. Not like being in those short, passionate flings, or the touch of the nearly emotionless Hyuuga. Compared to him, Shikamaru was practically a care bear. It was something else entirely, starting in the core of her soul and warming her from the inside out. For the first time since her childhood, Ino felt unequivocally, unconditionally _loved_.

"Shika," she said quietly, her voice barely a whisper. "I want to tell you so bad, but…"

_But what if he's not actually like this? What if this is something that will change when Tsunade-shishou heals him?_

"You don't have to say anything," he replied. "I… care about you."

She looked up sharply. "Care about me?" she repeated, her voice incredulous. A part of her told her to just take it as it was, because even that was like coaxing a full confession out of him on a normal day. But Ino was never one to settle, and she wasn't quite satisfied.

"Can you _get_ more anticlimactic than that?"

He just smiled at her and pushed her head back into his chest, saying nothing.

His steady heartbeat was like a panacea to her temper, though, and it quickly subsided. She still jerked a little to show that she wasn't completely subdued, but the pout quickly fell from her lips and her breathing slowed to match his. It was barely a minute before she was calm enough to fall asleep once again.

As her mind wandered into nothingness, Shikamaru whispered one last word.

"Probably."

Ino jerked awake.

"Probably? What does that mean?"

Shikamaru blinked in the bright sunlight and squinted up at the girl. Instead of looking pleased, however, his eyes opened wide in horror. Ino looked at him quizzically.

"Shika? What are you looking…" she turned to follow his gaze, "at..."

Inoichi Yamanaka stood over the bed, his rage as obvious as the daylight that shone through the window.

"Young woman… get up…right now…"

Ino crawled out of Shikamaru's embrace grudgingly, knowing that when her dad was so upset he could only speak two words at a time there could be no pleasantries immediately thereafter.

"What…what were…you two…"

"It's not what you think!" she protested.

The man glared at her, beckoning for her to follow him out of the room with a single finger. Her mind conjured images of Shikamaru destroying half the ward in a fit of rage before realizing that there was no one for him to hurt and he couldn't use any jutsu anyhow. It couldn't hurt as long as she stayed in sight.

She looked ruefully at Shikamaru and followed her father out of the door, but didn't let it fall shut behind her. Instead she leaned on the doorframe to keep herself deliberately in his view. She glanced at him even as her father started his rant, peeking to see if he would react strangely. He didn't, and for that small blessing she was grateful.

"And _my_ daughter laying with a patient in the…" her father was saying. She tuned it out, listening to every few words and offering a bland, 'Yes, daddy' or 'No, daddy,' when it was required. She twiddled her long bangs around her fingers before wondering for the first time what Shikamaru thought of her hair. Did he like it? Did he hate it? What was his favorite hair color?

The answers to a million questions she thought she'd never ask him suddenly became the most important information in the world, and she resolved herself to ask him the first chance she got.

"And the last heir to our clan should not be…"

Wait for it... "No, daddy."

"Good. Now I hope you took something from that, since your mother wasn't here to see what you two were doing."

_Which was what exactly? Sleeping? It wasn't like we haven't shared covers and sleeping bags on missions before._

But she knew she was just being obstinate. She knew full well what Inoichi meant. They hadn't just been sharing warmth. It may have started that way, but it had progressed to full blown_ cuddling_ by the time she'd woken up. However, Ino didn't particularly care if her father knew. She was too busy being elated by the fact that Shikamaru was now somehow the cuddling type after being opposed to any sort of physical contact for so long.

What she said was, "Yes, daddy."

She glanced at Shikamaru to see that he was smirking amusedly.

"And _what_ exactly is so funny?" she bellowed at him, stomping back into the room.

He just shook his head and yawned, facing away from her to hide his amusement.

"Oh no you don't!" she yelled even as Inoichi stormed back into the room. "Lay your ass back down and cover up! It's too cold in here for that! And don't let me catch you smirking like that again. Don't think I can't read you like a book, Nara Shikamaru!"

He just looked at her with his lips turned slightly downward and one eyebrow cocked in defiance. "Really, Ino? Really?"

She set her hands on her hips and ground her teeth together menacingly. "If you don't do what I say, I will take that ponytail of yours and shove it up one of your deer's-"

"Ino!"

Inoichi looked mortified at the language his seemingly demure daughter had suddenly displayed. Ino wasn't capable of such atrocities in his eyes, and she had to correct that or risk all hell breaking loose.

She smiled sweetly at her father, letting just a bit of faux guilt leak into the puppy pout that he couldn't seem to resist. "Sorry, daddy. Sometimes he makes me so…_frustrated_."

She shoved Shikamaru back down on the bed with one hand and yanked the covers up under his chin with her other. His face became a mask of annoyance, but he complied with her without any further cheek. The knowledge that victory was hers brought a small smile to her lips.

He glowered at her and muttered something under his breath that she chose to ignore.

She turned back around to see Inoichi looking somewhat perplexed. She'd prepared herself for another verbal beating when a female ANBU wearing a cat mask leapt through the window. Ino was taken aback by her chosen method of entry.

_Couldn't she use the door?_

She didn't understand, but it mattered little. ANBU never seemed to do anything that a normal shinobi would do. Not that shinobi in general did very much that could be considered normal, anyway.

The woman had very distinctive purple hair draping down to her waist, and Ino wondered briefly why she bothered wearing a mask at all. It wasn't much of a disguise. This was further confirmed when Inoichi addressed her quickly.

"Yugao. Is something wrong?"

The woman shook her head quickly. "Sorry, Inoichi-sempai. This message is for your daughter."

He blinked in confusion and Yugao turned to Ino.

"Ino-chan," she began. "Hokage-dono has approved of the mission. Here is the relevant scroll. The Nara clan has been informed of all applicable conditions and has agreed to the terms. Nara Shikamaru is officially discharged in good health with a normal IC checkup schedule."

"In good…discharged?" Inoichi sputtered, staring at his junior shinobi handing his daughter a mission scroll.

Ino nodded, accepting the scroll and sticking her tongue out at her father who was still looking on in confusion. His eyebrow twitched once before he glanced at Yugao to make sure she wasn't looking and stuck his tongue right back at her.

Ino suppressed a giggle at her father's antics before Yugao turned back to him and he straightened quickly, putting his hands innocently behind his back.

"Until next time, Inoichi-sempai."

And she disappeared through the window yet again.

The first thing her father did after the ANBU left appalled Ino to no extent.

"Don't you dare go sticking your tongue out at people, young lady!" he scolded.

"But you just-"

"I don't want to hear a word," he said, cutting her off. "If your mother were here, she would say-"

"I would say that I'm surprised I married such a hypocrite."

Inoichi balked as his wife strode into the ward. "Wait, honey, you're supposed to…if you're here, who's at the shop?"

"I closed it," she replied casually, striding over to Shikamaru's side and putting a large bouquet of flowers on the nightstand.

Inoichi's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "You closed the shop early and you're giving him all those hydrangeas? And a gladolius? Really?"

Ino could see her normally frugal father counting the money his wife was giving away in his head. "That's like-"

"Spare me. I know what the arrangement costs, dear. I made it myself, after all."

Ino laughed at her parent's bickering and sat on the edge of Shikamaru's bed.

"But-" Inoichi protested. Clearly he was losing this one, and Ino could see the realization beginning to settle on his face.

"No buts. We've known Shikamaru since the day he was born. There's no way I wasn't going to bring him a gift."

Inoichi finally sighed defeated, moving over to stand beside his wife. Ino watched a curious expression cross his features that her mother seemed to miss. "Yeah, Shikamaru. Get well soon and all that," he said gruffly, trying to slip the gladolius from the arrangement without her knowing.

His hand earned a rough smack for his efforts and Ino giggled again. "Relax, daddy. I'll do some extra work in the shop to make up for it, okay?"

He glared at the traitorously free arrangement before agreeing.

"So Ino-chan, what's this mission the Hokage sent you?"

Shikamaru looked up intently, worry in his eyes. "Yeah, what mission? You just got back from one. She can't send you out yet!"

"_We _just got back from an S-rank mission," she corrected him. "And I have to bodyguard Shikamaru for three weeks."

Both of her parents erupted. "What?"

"What do you mean bodyguard?" Shikamaru cried, sounding quite offended.

"Three weeks? When do you plan on making up this bouquet? It's gonna show on my quarterly!"

Ino smiled at her parents, looking at her father deviously this time. With her mom there to rein in her father and in her nurturing, maternal mood, she could get away with almost _anything_. "I don't. By the time my mission is over you'll have forgotten all about it."

"Like hell!"

"Besides," she continued looking at her nails disinterestedly. She would enjoy laying this one on Inoichi especially after the dressing down he'd given her just a few minutes ago. She cut her eyes at him to take in his apprehensive expression.

"Besides what?" he asked.

"I'll be staying with Shikamaru at the Nara compound until the mission is complete."

Ino said all of this without looking up from her nails and when she did, it was she who was surprised. Her father's expression was one of expected bloodlust, but her _mother _was having the more pronounced reaction of the two.

"Ooooooh!" she trilled excitedly, waving her fingers in the air. "I knew I should have listened to Yoshino! She'll be so excited! She told me when Ino was born we should arrange a marriage, but I didn't listen and now…AHH!"

Ino stared at her in stupefaction. Shikamaru broke into obnoxiously loud laughter at both of the blonde women and Inoichi's rage shifting targets from the hospitalized boy to his wife.

"You!" he yelled unable to form a complete sentence. "She! How? You said she said she agreed to what we said!"

His wife looked up amusedly at him. "And what, pray tell, would that have been?"

"That Ino would never get married and could never have a boyfriend!"

"I only went along with that to shut you up! I can't believe you've actually been holding on to that all these years!"

"Of course I have! What kind of responsible father-"

Ino had had enough. She began pulling the sensors from Shikamaru's body.

"What are you doing?" he whispered.

"I'm tired of their arguing. We're leaving, Shika. You're officially discharged now."

He looked relieved.

"Discharged into _my_ care."

He looked significantly less relieved.

"Can't I choose my own health plan? I should have some sort of right to-"

"Not when mental instability is suspected. You've gotta follow your doctor's orders, and right now your doctor says lets ditch them." She looked pointedly at her parents.

Shikamaru weighed this as she finished yanking off the sensors and handed him a clean set of clothes. When he stood, she noticed he was awfully skinny. He had grown significantly since their time in the academy and he was nearly as tall as her father now, but the bulk he'd slowly been accumulating had quickly withered away in the last week and a half.

He took the clothes gratefully and walked over to the bathroom to change. Inoichi was still going back and forth about clan marriage laws and how he would issue an official injunction to whatever Ino proposed no matter when she married.

Ino grabbed the vase of flowers and slipped past him, ignoring his spiel and kissing them both once on the cheek before going back to the bathroom near the front of the ward.

When she reached it, Shikamaru burst out, his pants halfway up his legs and looking frightened.

Ino nearly dropped the vase, but when he saw her, his breathing calmed and his expression returned to normal.

Ino gulped. She was lucky he couldn't perform any justu now, or there was no telling what damage he might have wrought on the unsuspecting lavatory. She set the vase down and walked over quickly.

"Shikamaru, are you okay? I'm here. Everything's fine."

He nodded and looked away as he realized (not for the first time) how he was reacting. "I knew you were right there on the other side of the door," he said, his voice wavering badly. "I knew, but I panicked anyway. I had to see for myself…I couldn't stop…"

Ino pulled him into a tight hug and he wrapped his arms around her again.

"Ino?" he whispered, sounding unsure. "Could you just stand at the door and talk to me?"

She nodded quickly and he stepped back into the room, leaving the door slightly open. She started talking idly about her parents and how silly they were being for just a few seconds before he opened the door, looking harried but fully clothed and, most importantly, non-panicked.

She frowned slightly as she took in his disheveled appearance. His hair, regrown a few days ago by Tsunade, was long and loose, out of its customary ponytail and hanging messily around his face. Stubble lined his jaw, making him look decidedly more like his father and decidedly scruffier than she'd ever seen him look. The clothes hung loosely from his shoulders, and he had to tighten his belt to the last notch to keep his pants from slipping.

She decided to stop and get him a decent meal rather than waste time agonizing over his appearance, since he'd likely be doing that himself. As long as she'd known him, Shikamaru had detested looking out-of-sorts or out of control with his appearance.

He glanced in the mirror and appraised himself before turning back to her. Ino frowned.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

_Stupid question! Of course he isn't! It's_ my _job to_ make_ him okay_.

He shrugged. "Fine. Why?"

Ino decided to proceed forward cautiously. If he was okay with his appearance, she didn't want to draw too much attention to it. But curiosity got the better of her and she plowed on ahead.

"You're not going to fix your hair or something?"

He shrugged. "I don't really care. It doesn't really matter, does it?"

She tried to hide how much that answer troubled her by smiling broadly, though she couldn't shake the feeling that it didn't come off as sincerely as she'd hoped.

"Of course it doesn't, Shika."

Ino picked up the vase and strode from the hospital with Shikamaru in tow, now deeming it of utmost importance to stop and get some food. As if on cue, Choji was walking toward the hospital with a bag of chips in one hand and a large plastic bag hanging from his wrist. His other hand was dipping repeatedly in the bag of chips, and Ino was glad to see that at least _one_ of her teammates was acting normally.

"Choji!" Ino yelled happily, waving and rushing over to meet him. He pulled her into a brief hug.

"Ohayo, Ino," he replied between mouthfuls. Then his eyes settled on her charge and nearly bulged out of their sockets.

"Shikamaru? You're out already? You look terrible!"

_Great, Choji. Subtle as a kunai to the face_.

_**He's acting normally, unlike Shikamaru. If Choji was ever being subtle, I'd be worried about him too.**_

Ino grimaced, unable to dispute the logic of her subconscious.

"No, he's not out," Ino said, poking Choji hard in the center of his chest. "He's been discharged into MY care, so don't forget that. He doesn't leave my sight, got it?"

The Akimichi smiled guardedly and nodded. "Right…well, my mother made him a meal that I was bringing to him, so I guess you'll want to feed him, too."

Shikamaru had caught up enough to Ino's pace to glare at his friend, who was now stuffing his mouth even faster in an attempt to hide his snickering.

"Choji, that's not funny!" Ino pouted. A few of the villagers stopped to watch the commotion and Ino's pout became an embarrassed blush.

"No you're right," he said from between his fingers. "I should be congratulating you, right? You're going to consummate your relationship now."

"No," she growled, sizing him up to find his weakest point. "We're going to Shikamaru's house so he can get some real rest."

"And how's he gonna do that with you there, Ino?" Choji's laughter had gotten well beyond what his hand could stifle and he stopped trying to hide it. "From what I hear you'll keep him up all night!"

Ino's blood boiled instantly and her inner demons raged for his head, though not all that eloquently.

_**SLAAAY HIIIIIM!**_

_YES! KILL HIM DEAD! _

She grabbed Choji by his ear and dragged him off toward the Nara residence while Shikamaru followed the wide path they created. "I don't know what you've been listening to, but when we get there, I'm going to take your ears off and feed them to his deer!"

"They're not _his _deer, Ino," Choji pointed out, snickering. "Unless, of course, you like deer and you want them to be _your_ deer too."

She wrenched his ear some more and he yowled in pain. "Gomen! Gomen, let go!" he cried, dropping his bag of chips on the ground.

Ino finally let go and he rubbed his ear plaintively, a sad expression troubling his pudgy features as he stared at his lost bag of chips. Ino picked the bag up and tossed it into a nearby bin. "And what did I tell you two about littering? Especially you, Choji-"

* * *

...

Shikamaru walked a fair distance behind his two friends as Ino bossed Choji around. He figured she was making up for lost time since they hadn't seen the Akimichi in nearly a month thanks to his clan's missions to distant parts of the Fire country.

It was good to have the gang back together again, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something. Their mission had gone horribly wrong—that much he remembered—but something near the end of it was important and he just couldn't place what.

It was highly uncharacteristic of his brain to not instantly bring him information when he requested it, and he frowned, troubled by this. He'd heard stories of people who had been tortured, but was this what the aftermath was? Would his mind ever be the same?

He looked up at the clouds floating amicably by on unseen winds. Clouds. Such a simple pleasure that he'd recently forgotten. It had been three weeks since he last sat on his hill, but…he didn't want to do that anymore.

He brought his gaze back down to earth and it settled on the blonde walking a few paces in front of him. His eyes naturally followed the waves of her hair as it caught the wind, the swish of her hips with each step she took, the way her legs curved upwards to her….

He looked up at the clouds quickly. No matter what happened last night, those thoughts were still not sanctioned. She'd think he was a pervert like Jiraiya or Kakashi and then the whole gig would be up before it began.

But lazy days of staring at clouds had been replaced in his mind with a different fixation. He settled his gaze on Ino again and watched her instead, picking up the minute cues that told her she was about to take Choji's bento, the look on her face as she sized up which one she could grab out of the bag before the Akimichi noticed. He couldn't see the boxes, but if he had to guess she'd be snatching it…now.

His stomach rumbled in anticipation of the Akimichi's cooking. Their entire clan was predicated on the consumption of copious amounts of comestibles and, as such, they had made its preparation an art form.

Ino obliged him by reaching into the bag lightning-quick and prizing a box before holding it above her head like some sort of world-renowned trophy. The vase of flowers wobbled dangerously in her other arm, but she ignored it, seeming to value the food much more. Shikamaru couldn't blame her. It was a simple equation in his mind. Food was always greater than or equal to flowers.

"Hey, those are for Shikamaru!" Choji protested. Ino slowed her stride until she was walking next to the Nara.

"I know," she replied, opening the box. The smell that wafted into Shikamaru's nose made him immediately stop and turn to a small ice cream parlor to sit at the outdoor tables that lined the boulevard. Ino plopped into a seat next to him and Choji sighed resignedly, sitting across from the pair of them. Ino handed Shikamaru the bento and he dug in, not even waiting for chopsticks. He devoured the food as if it were the first time he'd ever eaten in weeks, and besides, he didn't remember Choji's mother's cooking being so _good_!

_On second thought, yes I do_. It still surprised him how welcoming it could taste after a week of eating nothing and before long he'd cleaned out all eight bento.

Choji and Ino stared at him, and he stared back. He didn't know what all the fuss was about. It was the most proper meal he'd had in about two weeks, so of course he'd wolfed it down. Right?

Choji stood slowly, his chair scraping loudly across the wood floor. "Man, Shikamaru, you might need a room at my place eating like that. You ate Ino's food and mine, too." His expression turned amused and devious in a way only Choji could manage. "Of course, that means Ino would have to stay there, too... I'm sure we've got a room that's soundproof somewhere…"

Shikamaru blinked once, ignoring Choji's jokes. Had he really eaten that much? It certainly didn't seem that way. He shrugged, offering an apologetic look but not much else.

Ino, to his immense surprise, actually stood up for him instead of reaming him for eating her food.

"Shikamaru needs his strength. If you want to eat Choji's food, go right ahead Shikamaru. He's feeling really generous…" Her warm expression turned to one of pure blonde malice as she swung her gaze to the Akimichi. "_Isn't he, Choji_?"

Choji showed very real terror at the expression she had fixed on him and he nodded quickly. "Yeah, Ino. Whatever you say. I've got to get home anyway for a training session with my dad, sooo I'll come by to visit you later, Shikamaru."

The shadow nin nodded and Choji dashed off to meet his father, leaving the two of them alone. He knew that she was acting nicer toward him because of the ordeal he'd been through, but he didn't know how deep this ran. It didn't require much of a mental leap to decide the best way to test her. He glanced at the finished bento boxes stacked in front of him. Yes, that would do nicely.

After a brief mental war that pitted his common sense and self-preservation instincts against his curiosity, he made his choice. Getting up and stretching leisurely, he started walking off in the direction of his clan's holdings.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" Ino demanded. "_What_ did I _tell _you two about _littering_?"

He sighed and turned around. _I guess things couldn't be that different._

But what he saw belied everything he knew about Ino. She stood there with a longing expression on her face for a brief second before tossing the garbage into a nearby trash bin and following him away from the ice cream place, the vase of flowers tucked in the crook of her arm.

Ino walked right past him, blushing slightly as he stared at her. Shikamaru followed after her, wondering exactly what had had spurred this change in her.

* * *

...

Ino was a bit embarrassed when Shikamaru started staring after they finished eating. When they finally arrived at the Nara's clan grounds, she was blushing furiously. He had hardly taken his eyes off of her since she'd cleaned up the mess, and it was starting to get annoying. She knew that sometimes in PTSD, a patient could descend into a mental fixation that held some significance to them, and this appeared to be exactly what Shikamaru was doing.

Except the objects of his fixation weren't clouds or candy or anything innocent like that. It was her. And while she knew that he was just being crazy and that he wasn't in his right mind, she couldn't help the feeling that she didn't quite mind the attention the way a real doctor would. She couldn't help the feeling that when he was done and Tsunade had repaired his mind, deep down she wanted it to continue, wanted it to be real.

So she endured the staring, but she couldn't help but become a little curious as to what he was seeing. How did he see her? Did he think she was pretty? And most importantly…what the _hell_ was so interesting about the back of her pants that he'd been staring at them for the last fifteen minutes? Had she sat on something?

As they approached Shikamaru's home, she ventured the question that had been on her mind since her father had dragged her into the hallway a few hours ago. Her flushed cheeks betrayed the fact that her heart was pounding in her throat, and she swallowed her pride before opening her mouth.

_I promised I'd let him see the real me, and the real me wants to know. Here goes…_

"Shikamaru? Can I ask you something?"

"Hm?"

"Do you like my hair?"

* * *

_There ya go. Nice n fluffy. ;) You know what to do._

l  
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	14. All's Well

**Chapter 14**

**All's Well...**

Tsunade stared at the requisition form on her desk, rereading it for the umpteenth time. It wasn't a complicated piece of paperwork. On the contrary, there was nothing special about an order for a thousand new kunai. If anything, she'd expect to see several more within a few days exactly like it. No, it wasn't the page that was demanding her attention. It was the issues with her best strategist and her own apprentice that had her spacing out on the job.

She really needed Naruto to step up quickly. This job was getting to be too much for her and she had only been Hokage for five years.

Then again, she'd never actually _wanted_ the job.

Trying once more to read the requisition form and failing, she gave up, pushing the stack of papers aside toward Shizune.

"I can't do this anymore," she groaned. "I'm too worried about two ninja to run the rest of the village in the middle of an international crisis."

Shizune nodded understandingly as she took the pile. "Shikamaru-kun? I understand why you're worried."

"Shikamaru and Ino," Tsunade corrected. "I should have known this mission was too much for them. For once I think the elders were right."

"Ino-chan? Why are you worried about her? I thought Shikamaru-kun was the one hospitalized?"

Tsunade sighed heavily as she prepared to explain the conclusion she'd come to. Just admitting it to herself was hard enough, but there was something painful about speaking it aloud. "He is. And that's what makes this so tricky. Shikamaru has PTSD in a bad way, but I don't think Ino's quite right either."

The brunette woman looked up sharply at this, the puzzlement on her face a testament to her surprise.

"Ino hasn't left Shikamaru's side since he returned, and not without reason. He's developed some sort of fixation on her and he attacks people when she's not around, screaming something about torture. But Ino… she thinks she's fallen in love with Shikamaru."

Shizune's smirk told Tsunade everything she needed to know about her thoughts on _that_.

"I know, right?" she said, reaching in her drawer for a bottle of sake that had long since been drunk. She frowned in disappointment, making a mental note to go bingeing the day she handed the reigns over to Naruto.

"As if I haven't heard that one before. If I had a yen for every time a girl came back from a two-man mission 'in love', then I'd be able to pay off my gambling debts _today_."

Another frown. When she was no longer Hokage, her debts would suddenly become a very real problem again. No one dared try to shake down the head of the ninja world, but the _former_ head of the ninja world… that was a whole other story.

"Speaking of which…"

Shizune just waved her off. "Oh, don't worry about that, Tsunade-sama. I've been managing your finances all these years and you should be okay as long as you keep working somehow. I'm concerned about Ino-chan, however. Did you talk to her about this?"

Tsunade sighed heavily, which Shizune took as a yes.

"I don't understand. I just couldn't break the girl's heart and tell her it wasn't real. I guess a part of me hoped it was. She reminded me of…"

"Yourself? With Dan?"

Shizune's voice was meek and timid as usual, but her words rang with unspoken confidence. She usually loathed to speak of her deceased uncle in front of his former lover, but now she had a basis to bring it up.

Tsunade buried her face in her hands and wished fervently for a bottle of sake to appear. When she removed her hands, she was only slightly perturbed that it had not.

"Yes, of Dan and I," she confirmed. "I just thought… that Shikamaru might have died already if they had been just the tiniest bit more cruel. Ino might have died as well trying to escape the country if Temari hadn't been watching her back. Even if it's not real, is it my place to deprive her of that? What if that's all the love she has a chance to experience in her life? Isn't a pleasant illusion better than cold fate?"

Shizune was simply silent, however, as she had no answer for this. She stamped the requisition for a thousand kunai with a little more force than necessary, feeling uncharacteristic anger burning in her cheeks. _This world is far too cruel_, she thought sadly.

* * *

...

Temari stared at the Raikage for the second time in her life. The first had been as Gaara's personal bodyguard at the Kage summit a little over a year ago. He was just as intimidating now as he was then, even sans his arm. If anything, it made him appear even _more _dangerous as he strode around with the air of a man who dared anyone to question his strength and resilience.

When she'd first seen him, he'd been an ally, if an uneasy one. Now she considered him an enemy, though he had no idea of the fact. Hopefully she'd allow the imposing men in the room to labor under that delusion long enough for her to escape this tiny dung-hole of a country.

The Korikage stared at the dark skinned man and extended his hand into a firm shake.

"I am pleased that Kumogakure has chosen to honor our treaty. Konoha is a formidable enemy, but neither shall our might be underestimated."

The Raikage chuffed his acknowledgement as he glanced at Temari. "And I take it the Sand is joining as well? Where's that upstart little Kazekage?"

Temari gave her coyest smile. "That remains to be seen. Suna is waiting to see what benefits are to be gained from joining you to attack the Land of Fire."

The Raikage's acknowledgement came in a slow nod. "Still can't get over that little jinchuuriki runt, can he?"

Temari's shock must have showed because the man smirked. "You shouldn't look so surprised. I could tell the Kazekage had a soft spot for the brat. Bee probably won't like this very much either, but we're not abandoning our allies for a single shinobi."

The Korikage smiled mirthlessly at Temari. "I'm sure you're still wondering if that boy can be beaten, but I assure you it matters not. When dealing with an enemy impossible to beat, one of the first rules of engagement is not to engage at all. Instead, attack what he is set to defend and rip it from underneath him and you have destroyed him just as surely as killing him on the battlefield."

Temari gasped quietly. It was the first time he'd addressed his plan for dealing with Naruto, which, frankly, she'd thought would be a huge concern for them. But they planned on destroying Konoha entirely. What could Naruto possibly fight for if they destroyed his village? But even allied with Kumo, how could Shimo possibly hope to emerge victorious against the Fire country?

"Please know that this is not a threat, but rather a rationality," he continued. "We could not hope to defeat Konohagakure on our own, and as such we sought out the means to do this. In doing so, we concluded that every potential ally who does not agree with us is a potential enemy, and we could not accept that. Therefore, we have sought to eliminate the world of our potential enemies."

As if on cue, nine ninja strode into the room in a file, starting with a man that Temari recognized instantly by his blue hair and the black eye patch that hid a captured Byakugan. His Kirigakure headband wasn't even needed to confirm his identity. The other ninja she didn't recognize, but the forehead protectors they wore told her everything she needed to know.

The Hidden Rain, Grass, Stone, Valley, Moon, Star, Waterfall, Haze, and Mist had all turned out with the collective goal of destroying Konoha.

Temari gulped audibly, the tension in the room now palpable.

"The Hokage has lorded the Land of Fire's power over us for long enough. We would all like to get rid of that particular spectra, and I apologize deeply to Suna if you decide to ally yourselves with Konoha. It is not our intention to fight you. Iwagakure has wisely decided that it has no stake in this conflict. Perhaps if you do not assist us, it would be wise for you to do the same, no?"

The Raikage looked smugly at Temari, believing the Sand nin to be cornered, and she was. She really had no recourse now. She _had _to find out what Shikamaru's plan was when he'd fingered Konoha because this looked really, _really_ bad.

Most of the known world was on a warpath and all focused on a single enemy now. There was no way that Konoha could withstand all these countries attacking from every border. Even with Suna's help, there was still a strong possibility of complete annihilation.

She bowed respectfully to the Raikage, a tight smile forced upon her lips. "I will bring news of your strength to my brother, and we will inform you of his decision immediately. Until then, I must to go. I cannot decide this matter for myself."

The words burned in her throat like poison, but the shinobi around seemed to accept it. There was nothing more important to her than getting this intel back to Konoha and Shikamaru as soon as possible. He'd gotten them into this mess, and it was only him that could steer them out.

She was escorted out into the freezing cold once more. She glanced back over her shoulder at the Korikage's mansion, a deepening sense of foreboding settling in much deeper than the chill of the night air.

She made her way back to the inn and stepped inside, though inside was a relative term since snow poured through the hole in the roof without discrimination. Almost immediately, Hibiki attached himself to her leg. "Mean lady! Chokichi-san is hurt! You have to help him!"

Temari pried the runt off her leg. "Alright, alright, but I can't walk anywhere with you hanging on to me like that. What happened?"

The boy waved her into the back room hysterically and she followed quickly.

"He was cold and then he fell down and hurt himself and Mayuri-san can't do anything!"

Temari grimaced, casting a long look at the hole in the ceiling as she followed the boy behind the front desk, now charred beyond recognition.

Behind it was a small bedroom, not much larger than the rooms the guests stayed in upstairs. A large bed took up the center of the room and Chokichi lay on it under a slew of blankets with Mayuri and Hikari at either side. He looked extremely pale and his face was contorted into a mask of pain even in his fitful sleep.

Mayuri looked up as she walked in the door, but her eyes fell from their hopeful expression to turn a bit sourer when she saw the Suna blonde.

_What was that for?_

"Temari-chan," Mayuri said, dabbing Chokichi's sweaty brow with a warm rag. "Would it trouble you bring two covers from the spare bedrooms?"

"Of course not," Temari replied, taking a hesitant step back. "But if he's sweating, is it really wise to-"

"The blankets aren't for him dear," Mayuri replied, cutting her off shortly. The words were the epitome of polite, but the acid in her tone dispelled any doubt Temari had about her standing with the woman.

What had _she_ done to deserve this? She didn't owe these people anything!

She huffed and stormed out of the small room, slamming her fist into the blackened table as she went past it. Her fist went through the weakened wood and she stared menacingly at the wood, as if it would repair itself out of fear of her wrath.

"Stupid table," she muttered as she stomped up the stairs. "Stupid roof. Stupid inn, stupid country, stupid Shikamaru! STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!"

She slammed her fist into the door to the room, and it went through that wood too.

She realized rather belatedly that she really should stop punching things.

A tug on her pants leg made her jump in surprise and she looked down to see Hibiki staring, his face showing just how frightened he was.

"Mayuri doesn't like you," he told her, whispering as if it were the secret of the ages.

"Oh, really?" Temari replied sarcastically. "I couldn't tell."

"It's because you don't care enough to help us," Hibiki said darkly, letting his brows crease together. "You're nothing like Pineapple man and Kaa-san. If I were him, I'd marry Kaa-san and leave you in the cold."

Temari was taken aback, first by the bluntness with which the child spoke, and second because the words he spoke cut deeper than almost any insult that had ever been hurled her way. Her first thought was to tear the little runt a new one, but then, she realized, wouldn't that just prove him right? Who was he to say she didn't deserve Shikamaru? She'd saved the genius' life more times than she cared to count and knew him better than most others could ever hope to.

This boy who'd been with him in an extremely frazzled and overwrought state for a grand total of two weeks was now telling her off. And the worst part of it was that something deep down inside her agreed wholeheartedly.

Chokichi was dying, freezing because of the hole that Temari had been too stuck up to repair herself and the severed power line outside.

_Damn Tayuya_, she grumbled inside. _Why'd you have to fuck this place up so bad?_

Temari cuffed the boy upside his head and he sprawled backwards, hurt and confusion in his amber gaze.

"Don't talk to your elders like that, boy," she finally said, her voice holding none of the sting she'd intended_. That almost sounded_… _sad. Ugh!_

Hibiki nodded obediently and she yanked two covers off the nearby beds with more vigor than she'd intended (the mattress slid off its base, thumping lightly onto the ground) and carried them downstairs to where Mayuri waited.

She held them out for the older woman to take, but upon an insistent glare from Hibiki who standing in the doorway, she wrapped it gently around the older woman's shoulders instead.

She looked at the young blonde suspiciously as she accepted the cover, but offered no complaints and drew it tighter around her shoulders. Temari wrapped the children in the other blanket before turning and stalking from the room feeling decidedly _soft_.

She had a few things to take care of before she left town apparently.

_Damn Shikamaru. Damn Tayuya._

The sentence didn't feel complete in her head so she added more.

_Damn Ino!_

* * *

...

Ino peered over her shoulder at the Nara sitting in his room, staring at the shogi board in front of him. She'd arranged it in a simple pattern to test his mental faculties, according to a book she'd picked up a day ago. If he got the puzzle right, he was a genius. If he didn't… well, she didn't want to think about what it would mean if he didn't.

_His beautiful mind,_ Ino thought once more. It had become her favorite phrase lately, and Choji had (between terrible jokes about their newfound closeness) expressed his sympathy for Shikamaru when she'd said it to him. Everyone did. They had started treating him like an invalid, even though a drugged up, tortured, and broken Shikamaru with post-traumatic stress disorder was still more than a match for any mid-level chunin with attachment issues.

And it made her sick. So sick, in fact, that when Shikamaru's mother had nearly tried to feed her own son, Ino took her aside and berated her thoroughly. With a surge of pride, Ino had handed Shikamaru his food and sent Yoshino Nara off with her tail between her legs. Shikamaru later told her that he found it admirable, if a bit suicidal, that she had stood up to his overbearing mother.

After that moment, which had been roughly two hours and thirty six minutes ago, Yoshino had returned to Shikamaru's room fifteen times to pester Shikamaru with ridiculously personal questions and advice. And if the patter of footsteps she was hearing on the hardwood floors was any indication, she was returning yet again.

_Number sixteen. Sixteen times now._

The shoji slid open and Yoshino's brown tresses spilled through as she stuck her head into her son's room.

"Shikamaru," she said quickly. "I forgot to mention a few things."

He flopped back onto his pallet and let his eyes fall shut. "What is it this time?"

"Firstly," Yoshino began, apparently missing the exasperation in his voice, "I don't know if you two have decided to consummate your relationship yet—"

"MOM!"

"I'm just telling you to protect yourself adequately! There are already too many pregnant Ino stories floating around this community!"

"I'm NOT pregnant!"

"Secondly," she continued, ignoring the teen's protests. "I haven't decided on a date for the wedding yet, since I don't know how far you two are along, but I was thinking next week would do—"

"OUT!" Ino roared, standing up from her seat and pushing the excited woman through the entryway.

Yoshino began babbling again, but Ino shushed her. "Not another word, Yoshino-san. For the last time, I'm his doctor and the doctor says no more disturbances!"

"But what kind of dress are you going to wear for the marriage—l"

Ino ground her face into her palm. It was pointless to argue that they weren't getting married. The first four times the woman had barged in, she'd immediately asked why they hadn't told her of their engagement. Indeed, them _not_ being engaged—or even together for that matter—didn't seem to register as a possibility in her mind.

Ino knew she had her own mother to thank for this embarrassment, and she resisted the strong urge to lock Shikamaru's mother in a closet, bound and gagged. Mostly because this would probably result in her being captured in more instances of Kagemane no Jutsu than she cared to count. The Nara was a _big _clan.

However, a part of her wished that she could do_ something_ as she stood in the doorway, staring down Yoshino with her hands on her hips and a deep frown decorating her porcelain face.

"Thanks for the concern, but we'll handle the marriage details _ourselves_," Ino bit out. "Now leave us be so Shika can rest!"

The pure ecstasy that passed through the Nara woman's eyes at Ino's statement was frightening, and Ino wondered not for the first time what her sarcastic tongue had just gotten her into. But what it had gotten her out of was more instances of _annoying mother_ no jutsu, and that would have to suffice.

Yoshino nodded happily and rushed away, babbling about telling everyone the date she had set.

Ino flopped exhaustedly back into the room, pulling the shoji shut behind her. She noticed Shikamaru's incredulous stare.

"What?"

"'We'll handle the marriage details ourselves?'" His voice was just as skeptical as his slanted eyes suggested, and she withered under the stare.

"What? I had to say something to make her go away! You're supposed to be taking the test—"

She clamped her hands over her mouth immediately, realizing she'd said too much. He looked at her quizzically.

"Test? What do you mean?"

Ino almost passed out.

_Shikamaru? Who are you? Was that a… a dumb question? Did he really just _not_ put two and two together? _

_**Well, I guess there's no reason to make him finish. That's as conclusive evidence as you'll ever get.**_

Ino shushed herself and sat back in the lone chair, facing away from Shikamaru so he wouldn't see the troubled look on her face.

"Shika?" she whispered. Her voice was barely audible.

He didn't respond, but she knew he was listening.

"Do you feel… normal?"

Her ninja hearing picked the soft rustle of fabric behind her. A customary Shikamaru shrug. That was normal. If she was right, he'd be frowning as he thought over the troublesome question.

And something clicked in her mind immediately. He had yet to say his signature word since they had returned from Shimo. Or indeed, since she had rescued him from Goro's clutches.

A niggling thought began in her brain that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't quite silence. Was her newfound love a fallacy? Was Shikamaru now just a shadow of the real him?

"I feel fine," Shikamaru replied calmly, returning his attention to the shogi board. He apparently had taken no notice of the worries now present in her mind. She couldn't help but start analyzing everything he said. It was a curse of being intelligent enough to not be able to turn a blind eye. For once, she wished she were as oblivious as Rock Lee or as controlled as Neji.

Her fingers began absently drumming against her leg, and she stilled them immediately. She didn't want Shikamaru noticing that she was agitated.

_Would he even notice? How far does this go? Will he be back to normal after Tsunade heals him? Will he be himself?_

Ino groaned in frustration and buried her face in her arms at his small desk. The desk where he used to (occasionally) work on problems that would boggle even her.

She needed fresh air. She needed a moment to herself. It had only been two days since Tsunade assigned her this mission and she was already coming apart at the seams.

If only she could get away and have some time outside…

"Ino." Shikamaru's voice was calm and familiar. For just an instant Ino let herself believe he was himself, even if for only an instant. But that instant stretched into a minute when she didn't reply, expecting him to project his thoughts into the silence as he'd been doing recently.

When he didn't, she looked up quickly and turned to face him. Hope flickered through her eyes as she drank in his stoic expression and his bored drawl. It brought a slight smile to her lips.

"Let's take a walk."

Her smile expanded while gratitude surged through her and she stood, feeling relived. Shikamaru stood calmly, gazing uninterestedly at the shogi board at his feet.

"A test, you said?" he asked, without taking his eyes off it.

Ino nodded slowly. "Sorry."

He just shrugged. "It isn't the first time." And he brushed the pieces onto the floor with his foot.

Ino beamed and looped her arm in his, pulling him outside where they slipped on their sandals.

They began walking through the Nara holding, heading for the forest where the clan managed their deer. She let him lead, content to walk with her arm tucked under his own. As they passed the scattered houses of his family, they drew several stares and questioning gazes. As familiar as the Nara were with the Yamanaka, there was a great chance that they knew exactly who she was. But she didn't mind one bit.

Their walk led them into the trees and by chance, they happened across a group of the deer herders. Not every member of the clan was a ninja. In fact, roughly half of the males had never picked up a kunai. They weren't held in any lesser regard than their shinobi brothers and cousins, however, since the medicinal revenue generated from the deer herding actually formed a more substantial part of the clan's income than missions. While every Nara wasn't a ninja, there wasn't a single one who didn't know how to tend the deer.

One of Shikamaru's cousins approached him as the group returned from their daily duties. His hair was cut lower than the normal Nara hairstyle and hung in bangs around his face. It made him quite distinctive on their clan grounds, at least.

"Shikamaru-kun!" he called, waving.

The lazy nin smiled briefly. "Jirou! It's been awhile!"

"My, my, you've moved up in the world, cousin," he said. "From the hospital to having this Yamanaka beauty on your arm in just two days?"

He looked away, blushing and mumbling something about how 'they weren't together anyway'. Ino scoffed, feeling playful and in a much better mood than before.

"What do you mean honey?" She reached up and planted a kiss on his cheek. "He's just bashful. I'm Ino. Pleased to meet you!"

Jirou bowed politely. "Just Jirou, please. I think Ensui mentioned something about you not leaving his side in the hospital right before he Kagemane'd the nurse into a wall. Ouch."

"You were there?" she asked, surprised. She thought she would have remembered him if she'd seen him.

"Breifly. I didn't actually come in. I didn't want to pick fights with the nurses after all."

Shikamaru seemed to regain his composure and Ino grinned devilishly, her scheming mind figuring out a way to playfully put him off balance again.

"Well Jirou, we were just going to—"

"Start inviting people to our wedding! Ask Yoshino-san for details!"

Shikamaru's expression was priceless. He looked at her with the most incredulous expression she'd ever seen. It was even better than when she'd told Naruto that Tsunade was considering Choji for Hokage. And _that_ had nearly started a riot.

"Ino…" he murmured, his mind seemingly in vaporlock. "What are you—"

"Well, that's all, Jirou," she said, dropping any honorific at his request. "We'll see you around!"

He nodded, winking at her to show that he was in on the joke. "I'll make sure to tell everyone on my end and get the dates from Aunt Yoshino!"

"Oh, _Kami_…"

Ino laughed as Jirou strode away to rejoin his cousins and they continued deeper into the forest. The sunlight shone warmly through the trees, but the shade kept the air at the perfect temperature. Life and vitality was everywhere they looked; a complete contrast to Shimogakure's barren wastes. Birds and squirrels flitted between trees, and the spring leaves were budding on every branch. In short, it was a perfect day.

Ino put her head contentedly on his shoulder as they walked, reveling in the moment. Everything felt so at peace. The animals around them seemed to agree, moving past the ninja as if they weren't there, taking care of their animal business. A stag trudged up to Shikamaru, and he brushed his hand across the creature's antlers. It chuffed its appreciation through its nose and Ino jerked away from it, trying to avoid the spray of deer snot.

Shikamaru pulled her hand across its velvet-coated horns, and she gasped in wonder at how soft they felt. If she could have a dress made out of _these_…

_It'd probably smell terrible_, her inner told her, interrupting her internal monologue.

They continued walking for a time, leaving the deer in their wake before they came to a small clearing.

"You're hilarious," Shikamaru finally said dryly, breaking the comfortable silence.

Ino smirked without moving her head from his shoulder.

"Thanks, Shika. I didn't think you'd have a sense of humor for a while."

She felt rather than heard him sigh, and even that brought her a tiny surge of happiness. To be this close to him was absolutely intoxicating. Even the fact that he was allowing her to maintain physical contact for extended lengths of time felt like an immense privilege since he was ordinarily quite upset if any sort of touching happened between them.

The disparity between their amicable walk now and the tense one they'd shared a few weeks ago when they went to train with Kakashi and Kurenai brought yet another smile to her lips.

"You're smiling an awful lot lately," Shikamaru said, almost reading her mind.

Ino looked up at him sincerely. "That's cause you're making me happy."

Shikamaru shook his head as if he couldn't believe he'd just heard that. "Wait, _me_? Making_ you_ happy?"

He stopped and turned to face her, his eyes searching hers. She thought back to the moment less than two hours ago when she had wondered if he was himself.

_What was I thinking? Of course he is!_

The niggling thought had returned, but her current exuberance quickly silenced it.

"Yes, Nara Shikamaru. You have been making me happy."

He honestly looked as if his mind had been blown away. But as happy as that made her, she couldn't help the doubt that surfaced in her mind.

She took a deep breath, trying to keep to her commitment to be open and give voice to her concerns.

"Shikamaru, I…I don't know if this is right. I mean, we've been friends all this time, and what about you? You're still recovering and I just want you to get better no matter what it takes, but now you know I feel this way and I don't know how you feel and—"

Warm lips pressed against her own, stopping her babbling. Her doubts evaporated instantly. She felt hesitant at first as she warmed up to his kiss, but none of the confusion from before took hold. Finally, in that one glorious moment, she relaxed into his arms and returned the kiss with everything she had.

His tongue gently caressed her lips, begging for entry. She allowed it, parting her lips just enough to brush his with her own. They stayed there in that kiss for as long as their lungs would allow before they finally broke away, panting slightly. Ino leaned backwards against the tree behind her. It felt so surreal to her. Shikamaru? Of all people?

She couldn't even pinpoint the day she'd started feeling this way toward him. It had snuck up on her far more stealthily than any Kage could manage. And now here she was, making out with him in his family's forest. When had _he _started feeling this way towards_ her_?

"How long?" he asked quietly, his voice managing to sound both shaky and exuberant at the same time. Apparently he'd been wondering the same thing.

"I have no idea. It just sort of… snuck up on me, I guess. You?"

He glanced away, kicking at the ground with his toe in a classic 'embarrassed Shikamaru' pose.

"You can tell me," she said softly. Her heart was still hammering in her chest, and _damn_ if she didn't find every single thing he was doing so _endearing!_

He glanced up at her, the usual surety he possessed absent from his eyes as he whispered four tiny words. "Since I met you."

And suddenly everything he'd ever done around her came into a different light. Her perspective shifted just slightly, and she _understood_. Shikamaru wasn't complicated, troublesome, or hard to understand at all. He was_ smitten_.

She understood the over protectiveness she'd had to fight through as a member of team 10. She realized why he'd always shied away from physical contact. She comprehended every subtle hint he'd ever given in his fits of jealousy when she'd turned up with boys draped on her arms like trophies. It was obvious why he'd blush and fidget every time Temari made advances on him when she was around. And most importantly, she knew why he thought she was so troublesome to him.

These things had frustrated her to no end when she was younger, but now it just seemed…cute.

She leapt forward and wrapped him in the tightest hug she could manage, burying her face in his chest and drinking in his scent. It was leafy, airy, and had a hint of cologne, and she loved every bit of it. His arms wrapped around her and she basked in the moment, wishing it would never end.

* * *

...

Not a kilometer away, Kenta Kobayashi was admitted into the village gates, passing as a mere traveler. No one stopped him to question his intentions once he presented his forged papers, and no one noticed him as he slipped into a nearby ramen stand.

An auburn haired shinobi, dressed in a rather unique red and grey armor sat a few seats over. No food sat in front of the young man, but he was talking excitedly to a pretty young lady who was blushing and flirting openly. She ignored him when he raised his hand to order and he frowned. She was clearly wearing the apron emblazoned with the kanji for Ichiraku Ramen.

If this was the standard, Konoha had terrible customer service.

After he waited a minute or so, she told the ninja – Choji was his name – to wait while she served the customer in a very polite voice.

He prepared to order as she turned her attention to him.

"What do you want?" she asked aggressively.

Sweat dripped rapidly down Kenta's face, making his raven hair stick to his cheeks. "Uhh…I just…uhhh…"

"Well, are you going to order? You've already interrupted me!"

"But I just need to eat something, and I've never been here before, so—l"

"Fine, then you get the standard. What size?"

"Err…"

"Fine, then you get regular size too. Is that all?"

"Ummm…"

"That'll be 12 ryo."

His face drooped sadly as he handed over the money. If this was any indication of what Konoha would be like as he searched for the Yamanaka, it was going to be _terrible_.

"Ayame-chan, don't be so hard on him," Choji said to the girl. "He's just a poor traveler."

The girl looked with beady eyes at the man next to Kenta. "Oh, Choji-kun, you're such a kind soul!"

Kenta tried to keep from vomiting before he got his meal. Their flirting was beyond unappetizing, but he had to hold it in. He tried to look unassuming as Ayame delivered his ramen and he brought the chopsticks to his lips.

And his mouth exploded into the most wonderful sensation he'd ever experienced.

"_YARE YARE_! THIS IS DELICIOUS!" he shouted, rocketing to his feet. He stared at Ayame in a new light. All her previous rudeness had been instantly forgiven.

Choji just laughed. "Yeah, Ayame-chan can really cook! She's been doing it all her life."

Kenta sat back down as Choji smiled. "I'm Choji, by the way."

"Kenta," he replied, promptly slurping the heavenly ramen into his mouth. He tilted the bowl up greedily, lapping it up with abandon. They never served food like this in Shimogakure. Most of the rations he'd grown up on were basic in nature, only designed to keep the shinobi's bodies running at optimal capacity rather than to keep their taste buds happy.

"I've never eaten anything this good!"

Choji grinned and Ayame beamed at him, apparently forgetting that he'd so rudely interrupted her conversation.

"Well, since you're so happy then I'll give you a second bowl half off."

His eyes lit up. "You'd do that?"

She nodded. "Just for you. Don't tell anyone else, though. Naruto's the only other person who gets discounts here."

His eyes clouded for just an instant as she began preparing the encore. _Uzumaki Naruto eats here, huh?_

The jinchuuriki had acquired no small amount of fame, and Hayato had left Kenta clear orders to flee any engagement with him. After the Fourth Shinobi World War, it had become quite apparent that no ninja was quite at his level as had he defeated the Uchiha ronin, Sasuke, and Madara. And according to a rumor, one of the two was locked in a maximum-security prison hundreds of feet below ground somewhere.

"Well, Ayame-chan, I told Ino I'd go visit Shikamaru this evening so I'll see you later."

"A man of his word, no matter what his heart desires…" Ayame gushed. Little pink hearts practically burst from her eye sockets. Kenta sneered into the dregs of his ramen. This woman was_ really_ something else.

Choji stood to leave as Ayame served Kenta his next bowl, and he said his goodbyes to the man before finishing his food and leaving to seek lodging.

The sun was finally setting on a warm day, and he needed to get the hot clothing he wore off in a hurry. The city was the polar opposite of Shimogakure in at least one way with restaurants and inns at every corner, inviting tourist attention and money.

_So this is a major ninja village, huh?_ he wondered as he picked an Inn that didn't look too expensive. _It's not so great._

He rented a room and flopped down on the bed after tearing off his heavy robes and opening the window as wide as it would go. The sounds of the bustling inhabitants were the last thing he heard as he drifted off to sleep, the only thing on his mind the mission before him.

_I'll be exploring more in the morning. I'm coming for you, blondie_.

* * *

_A/N: It was so hard to come up with a name for this chapter... i dunno why. great Shika/ino in this chapter imo. hope you guys liked reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it. ;) until next time! Paperazzi 0uT!_

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	15. Bad News Comes in Triplicate

_A/N: It seems like its been forever since i updated! Sorry for the delay. there's been a million things going on for me. Moving to Chicago this week, __hopefully __getting a great new job here (cross your fingers), helping my mom rennovate her house. sheesh. i havent had time to sit down at my computer in forever. _

_Extra long update though (17 pages on msword!) Here's chapter 15! Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 15**

**Bad News Comes in Triplicate**

Kenta Kobayashi rose with the morning sun, a sheen of sweat covering his body from head to toe. He looked in disgust at the open window and then the blanket that had laid on the floor all night.

_Damn Fire Country. It's way too hot here._

He quickly bathed and dressed, going through his morning ritual as slowly as possible. He had absolutely no intention of strolling around in the heat for too long. No, he'd stay in the cool hotel for a while.

He glanced out the window as he considered his itinerary. He had to hurry and find this girl while he had a remote chance. There were more than a thousand shinobi in Konohagakure and twenty times that number of civilians. He opened his fist and looked at the single strand of blond hair resting in his palm. It was the only real clue he had and there was a hard time limit built into the hair.

If he focused on the tenketsu in his palm, he could feel the girl's chakra signature slowly leaking out of it. The energy was very faint, almost untraceable, but Kenta had a firm grasp of chakra signatures and chakra tracking techniques. It was one of the many reasons he was selected for this mission.

His stomach growled at him, and he finally pushed himself to his feet and stepped out into the stifling heat, wondering where he should go.

_Breakfast first,_ his stomach seemed to say. It usually wasn't in his best interest to disagree with his stomach.

A few minutes later, he found himself leaving a small bakery with sweetbread held firmly between his teeth as he pushed his lighter money purse into his pocket.

He munched on the pastry as he stepped out onto the main boulevard, heading toward the center of the town where the shinobi offices would be held. As he walked, he began formulating plans to wheedle information out of the offices. He wasn't likely to get much, but every little bit of information helped.

He again glanced at the hair in his palm. A perfect, platinum blonde. It couldn't be _too_ hard to find a shinobi with that color hair, could it? There weren't many blonde shinobi, after all.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than two young ninja strolled around the corner in front of her. Two very young, _very _blonde ninja.

He sighed heavily, cursing this town silently. One was a teenage girl, short haired and pretty, but unspectacular. The other was a tall young man, probably a little older than Kenta himself. He wasn't about to rule out the girl, since she could have quickly cut her hair upon return, but it was unlikely. Women with hair that long were usually loath to trim their locks, and it would do a lot better to dye the hair anyway.

He was about to lose hope when he noticed a patch on the young man's arm as he turned to walk away from them. It was different from the standard Konoha swirl and Kenta's eyes lit up. _A clan symbol?_ He didn't recognize it, and upon closer inspection noticed the same symbol on the girl.

A clan of platinum blonde ninja? Could he be that lucky? He had to find out.

He pushed forward, noting by their lack of chakra control that they were genin level at best. Without thinking he rushed forward, stopping in front of them and bowing deeply in greeting.

"_Ohayo gozaimasu_. How are you?" he said quickly, without standing quite yet. His black hair fell around his face annoyingly, but he ignored it as he waited for their response.

"_Ohayo_, _okagesamade,_" the girl replied politely. "Err, who are you again? I don't recognize you."

He stood and examined the two. They both wore cynical expressions.

"I am but a lowly traveler," he said quickly. "Kobayashi Kenta. I have traveled far and wide to find this village and now that I am here, the second part of my journey commences."

He had no idea where this lie was coming from, but the dubious expression on the girl's face had receded just a little. He pushed on, creating as he went.

"Not long ago, a woman with your hair color and the symbol you wear on your chest saved my life. I have traveled this far to repay her this debt to show my gratitude."

The girl frowned. "I'm sorry, but do you know her name?"

He shook his head. "I am but a poor farmer. All I have is this." He held up the hair in his palm. "With which to find her."

Both the clan members quickly looked at each other, mouthing something at each other. A name, maybe? All he could tell was that it had two syllables.

The boy looked back to Kenta with a worried frown. He seemed to be much more cautious than his counterpart, who was blushing slightly as Kenta's gaze came to her.

_So she thinks I'm attractive, huh? I'd be best served asking her the rest of my questions then._

"Sorry we didn't introduce ourselves. You caught us by surprise. I am Takahiro, and this is my sister Mieko. That hair does belong to a member of our clan, but I'm curious. How would you be showing your gratitude if you're so poor?"

Kenta balked, wondering what else Konoha's genin were capable of if they could simply throw his lies back in his face like that to test him.

"Gifts!" he exclaimed quickly so it wouldn't seem suspicious. "I brought gifts of family heirlooms that are in my possession. They're not incredibly valuable, but they're all I have."

Takahiro still looked suspicious, however, so he appealed to the girl.

"Please, I have traveled many miles to find this woman. She is responsible for my very existence. It is the least I can do."

Mieko looked like she was ready to swoon, her eyes glossed over from the make-believe romance that was sure to be playing out in her head.

"Aww, what could it hurt?" she said to her brother, elbowing him playfully in the ribs. "Ino's been chasing Sasuke, Neji-san, Shika-kun around all the time. She could use a handsome guy like this who's crazy about her, huh?"

Takahiro looked as if a vein were about to burst in his head. "You just told him our heiress' name. What if he's a foreign shinobi? What if he wants her dead? This is the real world, Mieko! Do I have to remind you what happened the last time a "handsome guy" let you tag along on your chuunin exam?"

Mieko ground her teeth in annoyance. "And _you_, genius, just told him that Ino's our clan's heiress. Way to go, loser."

Takahiro looked aghast at making such a mistake and he turned to Kenta, who put on his best hopeful expression. "So you do know who it is?" he asked, feigning excitement. "Can you take me to her?"

Mieko smiled happily at him while Takahiro just hung his head, defeated. "Sure," he replied. "But just this once."

Kenta thanked them profusely as they strode down the street, trying to sell the idea of a grateful farmer as he followed them. He asked questions absently, remembering part of his training during which he had visited a foreign nation with Hayato. He's been just a boy and pestered the older man with question after question about the city they were in. Hayato didn't reprimand him at all and later explained that if he were ever undercover, that same sense of wonder would make him look distinctly harmless.

So he asked about the architecture, the history of the village, and occasionally slipped in a prying question or two about the military forces, though nothing specific enough as to arouse caution. He was too good to allow that.

It finally settled in his mind, however, that if he ran into this girl here, she would know instantly that he was lying. He had no idea where she had taken missions in the last few months, and it would be foolish to throw out a location and hope he was right. He would have to play it off somehow, and—he reminded himself—this was a clan heiress he was searching for, not some random ninja. He had no idea of hers or her family's abilities, other than fire appearing to be her primary nature affinity.

They finally approached a building with a banner out front proudly displaying the words _Yamanaka Flower Shop_. He sighed in relief. A clan of florists, not ninja. He might be able to do this after all.

They stepped into the door to the soft tinkle of a bell and the heady aroma of hundreds of flowers in various states of bloom. He had never seen so much horticulture in one place. Only the hardiest plants survived in the Land of Frost. He tried not to be distracted, but it was proving impossible. His nose was assaulted by the different scents and it made it hard to think.

_Damn florists_, he thought.

"Uncle Inoichi, Aunt Hanako!" Mieko called merrily. "We have a visitor for Ino!"

There was no one behind the counter, but a set of nearly inaudible footfalls came toward him. _A woman_, he thought. _Likely the aunt. Good._

So he was quite surprised when a tall, dashing man stepped from behind a clump of tall plants, his long hair tied behind him in a ponytail similar to Takahiro's own hairstyle. He had a red band wrapped around his forehead and wore a deep red jacket embroidered with his clan symbol over plain black civilian clothing and carried a particularly sharp trowel in his left hand. Kenta gulped audibly.

But the fact that this man's footfalls were almost silent meant that he was either exceedingly effeminate (a theory belied by his muscular, lady-killer appearance), or more likely a ninja. And judging by the fact that he had almost no detectable chakra signature at all, he was a damn good one. He had to be a jonin at least, though Kenta could read most jonin's chakra easier than he could identify this man's.

"Uncle Inoichi!" Mieko cried, hugging the man. He smiled at her while somehow keeping a suspicious glare toward Kenta.

"Takahiro-kun, good to see you too. Nice haircut."

The younger man smiled and shook his hand pleasantly. Inoichi's eyes never left Kenta and he could _swear_ he was reading his mind.

_Please don't be her father, please don't be her father, please don't be her father …_

"And you. You've come to see my daughter?"

_Dammit!_

"Yes," he said, smiling uneasily. "Your daughter saved my life. I've come to express my gratitude to—"

"You're not the first one, scrub. Get in line."

_Ouch. _Maybe he wasn't a mind-reader, but he could sure put a damper on his plans anyway.

"Good sir, I bring gifts! What little I have, since—"

"You're a persistent bastard, aren't you? You've got just the tiniest bit of chakra, which means you're either some hick with latent ninja ability that no one cultivated, or a really, really talented jonin that no one's heard of. Frankly, I don't care which it is."

_Oh, he's good. He's really good._

"You're not getting within a hundred feet of my daughter. You know why? 'Cause she's boy crazy and you're handsome. That's it. Go home. You can leave a note with your gifts."

_Score one for the overprotective parent,_ Kenta thought. _Score zero for the dashing young kidnapper._

He felt a pang of sadness for his own parents, who had shipped him off to the Land of Frost from their home thousands of miles away at the hint that he might become a ninja, never to see him again. He wasn't even old enough to remember them. Some parents he had.

He did the only thing he could do. Bowing and backing towards the door with his features showing a very real sadness, he silently turned to leave. He heard a female voice laughing gaily behind the older man over Mieko's protest of how unfair and mean he was being, and he paused to listen.

"I know, Yoshino, when you told him that Ino was getting married, we could have used you all's shadow jutsu to keep him restrained!"

Another voice. "He's your husband. My Shikaku would never fly off the handle like that."

His frown deepened and he stepped outside.

_Just my luck_, he thought, kicking a rock toward the flowers outside. _She's the heiress of a clan, the daughter of an overprotective jonin, and now she's soon to have a husband, too? This is impossible! _

He was tempted to say that his mission couldn't get any more difficult, but he'd long since learned not to tempt fate. _But still It'd be nice if _something _would go right._

He detoured on his way back to the hotel to the Ichiraku Ramen stand for an early lunch since it was along the way. At least he could eat like a king while he devised a strategy to nab the girl.

He stepped under the curtain and flopped down beside yet another blond man, this one decked out in bright orange. He briefly wondered if he was another Yamanaka as well before dismissing the idea. All the Yamanaka he'd met so far had a chakra that was calm and steady. This kid felt like he was about to explode at any moment. He had less control than your average genin. It was a wonder that he hadn't already collapsed from exhaustion with the amount of energy oozing from his every pore.

"You're back!" Ayame said, apparently recognizing him immediately. Either she was an incredibly good waitress, their store had very few customers, or he was a terrible spy. He figured it was a combination of all three.

"Rough morning?" she asked, taking in his harried appearance.

"Yes," he said. "Hoping your ramen can make it better?"

She smiled broadly. "Well, make your order and I'll make you the best bowl of ramen ever!"

"Hey!" protested the boy beside him, slurping down what appeared to be his fourth bowl. "What about me?"

Ayame smiled at him. "Don't worry, Naruto. I make you the best bowl every time!"

He smiled, content, and resumed slurping. _Easy to please him, huh? _Kenta thought before he realized that he still didn't know the menu. Ayame looked at him expectantly.

"Uhh…" he said, feeling stupid. He remembered her tirade from yesterday and had no desire for a repeat performance.

"Don't worry. How about the Uzumaki special?" she asked, winking at the blond beside him.

He nodded gratefully, hoping it didn't have fish in it and glanced at the boy, wondering what the wink had to do with anything. He thought he recognized him from somewhere, but couldn't quite place it.

"Hi!" the boy yelled, smiling broadly as he slammed down yet another bowl. "I'm Naruto!"

Then it occurred to him exactly who he was sitting next to. Blonde young boy, wearing orange, loudmouthed. It was Uzumaki Naruto. The _Kyuubi _jinchuuriki. No wonder they had proudly announced that Uzumaki Naruto ate at Ichiraku. He really _ate_. He'd ordered his sixth bowl already.

The only thing that passed through his mind was,_ Oh shit._ The entire Shimogakure military had standing flee-on-sight orders for this boy, but that only pertained to the battlefield. Surely it was harmless to eat ramen with him. Unless the massive chakra leaking out of him were somehow poisonous. He'd heard there were shinobi with that type of ability.

"Hi," he finally replied, though significantly quieter. "Kenta. I've heard about you."

"Really?" The boy seemed star struck at his own fame. "What'd you hear? About how awesome I am? Or maybe Sasuke started spreading rumors. Did someone call me 'dobe' or something?"

Kenta couldn't help but smile even though he knew he was fraternizing with the enemy. "Definitely didn't hear anything about you being dead-last at anything. You're kind of famous as a ninja."

"Oh," he said, smiling as if Kenta had just told him the secret to life. "That's awesome!" He started punching the air as Ayame dropped two identical bowls of ramen in front of them. Miso with extra pork. Awesome. He dipped into it and his eyes lit up.

"This is even better than yesterday!" he exclaimed, tearing into the bowl.

"It's the best, isn't it?" Naruto said, digging into his own. Ayame looked distinctly pleased with herself as they downed the bowls and almost simultaneously demanded more.

However, Kenta faltered. "I don't have much money," he told Ayame. "You don't suppose you could extend that discount a bit further, do you?"

Naruto looked at him curiously. "You're poor?"

Kenta hung his head in shame. "My family was always poor, and they gave me away as a boy. I'm relatively young for my career choice and haven't made much money yet." He smiled ruefully. "I guess I just had it kinda hard."

Naruto stood up, nearly knocking over his stool in the process. "That's so sad," he said, his blue eyes clashing horribly with his orange and black outfit. "Since I'm still celebrating my promotion, eat all day on me!"

Kenta frowned. "I'm sorry, I couldn't—"

"I'm not taking no for an answer, Kenta," he said boldly. "Ayame-chan, bring him as much as he wants!"

He smiled gratefully at the boy. "So what promotion did you get that made you so generous?"

He frowned, as if not comprehending the idea of a promotion making him generous.

"I don't get it," he said, squinting in real concentration. "Why would my rank change my personality?"

The statement shocked Kenta, and he rocked back in his seat. It was such a pure, innocent question that it actually surprised him. "It wouldn't. I guess … I'd never thought of it that way."

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah. People are who they are, you know? Kakashi-sensei is the biggest tightwad I've ever met, but he's completed _hundreds _of missions! He's gotta be, like, a zillionaire!"

He blinked once before the meaning of his words hit him. "You were taught by Kakashi of the Sharingan?"

"Yeah! He's so awesome! He can kick anybody's butt!"

"And he trained you? Is that why you're so powerful?"

"Well, not entirely." Naruto frowned. "Jiraiya taught me for a while, and I learned a few things from Killer Bee and Yamato-sensei before he died."

Kenta was awed. This boy just rolled famous ninjas off his tongue like it was nothing. Without honorifics too!

"What about you? Are you a shinobi?"

_Yes._

Kenta shook his head. "No, just a farmer and a traveler."

"Oh. Well, what brings you to Konoha?"

_A mission._

"A woman here saved my life once. I came here to repay her."

"Really? That's so cool! Are you in love with her or something?" The boy looked genuinely excited and Kenta laughed.

"No. I only just learned her name."

"Oh. Well, what are you going to do when you find her?"

_Kidnap her._

"I brought certain gifts to give her. They're all I have in my possession."

Naruto frowned, before his face lit up. "Maybe I can help you! I know almost everybody!"

"Do you now?" he asked as another bowl appeared in front of each of them.

There was a spell of silence during which they devoured the bowls and ordered more before Naruto continued. "Yeah, between me and the rest of the Konoha Eleven, we've pretty much got it all covered!"

That sounded like military intelligence, and this boy seemed more than willing to part with it. Why was he supposed to be afraid of him again? "Konoha Eleven?" Kenta repeated. "What's that? Some kind of super-squad?"

Naruto smiled again. It seemed to be either a nervous tic or a habit. No one could be that happy all the time, could they?

"The Konoha 11 is what me and my friends call ourselves! We're mostly from the same graduating class except Guy-sensei's team. We're like the strongest young shinobi ever! There's me, and Sakura, who's the best medic nin ever. She beat an Akatsuki! And there's Kiba. He's a tracker and he's really good. That bug guy–I can never remember his name—but he's supposed to be some kind of prodigy for his clan. Oh, and Choji can make himself turn huge and smash you! And Hinata and Neji use the Byakugan! Lee's the best taijutsu fighter ever, and Tenten can kill you from a mile away with her weapons! And Shikamaru's the smartest guy in the world next to Kakashi-sensei. He killed an Akatsuki, too. Oh and Ino..."

He was still talking, but Kenta missed the last bit of his rant. He had just named his very target as his friend and classmate. He could lead him right to her, father or not.

"We're all super close. If anything ever happened to any of us, everybody would be super mad, ya know?"

Kenta felt his stomach turn at this particular revelation. "Yeah," he said, hoping the next bowl of ramen would come sooner. "So what was your recent promotion anyway?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

The bowls were placed in front of them and he drank the soup thankfully.

"Oh, I was a genin for forever, but last week they made me a jonin, and they're going to make me Hokage next!"

Soup sprayed everywhere and Kenta self-consciously wiped his mouth. "What? You can't just go from genin to Hokage!"

Naruto frowned deeply. It was honestly the first time he'd seen him display anything other than pure exuberance. "Tell that to baa-chan! She's appointed me as her successor already."

Kenta's mouth fell. This honestly couldn't get any worse. Well, it could. He could spill his ramen or something. But the _mission …_

He'd just fingered the very girl he needed to kidnap as the single, most difficult to kidnap person in the village. Not only would he have to evade the standard tracker-nin, the entire Yamanaka clan, a pointedly overprotective jonin father who appeared to read minds, and a very angry fiancé, he'd also have to face the entirety of the Konoha Eleven, which included tracker-nin, Hyugas, and the next Hokage.

He seriously considered aborting the mission and just reporting that she was indeed a Konoha shinobi. He had other objectives to accomplish, however, so he decided to stick it out and nab the girl only if he had to. Maybe he could wheedle the information out of her without resorting to kidnapping.

He finished his ramen and thanked Naruto as he headed back to the inn. At the very least he'd gained valuable intelligence, along with a stern lesson: it wasn't enough to not tempt fate. He couldn't even _think_ about it.

* * *

…

Tsunade leaned back in her chair and craned her neck just enough to hide the flask from Shizune's eyes as she took a swig. The damn paperwork just kept piling up today (seriously, how much property damage could _one _Raiton jutsu cause?) and she needed a fix.

The flask she was using was Jiraiya's gift to her, given nearly a decade ago. It somehow made her feel a bit closer to him every time she took a swig. Yet another missed opportunity. She had kissed him once, when she set all his lechery aside and … aww hell, who was she kidding? She'd been desperate. But thinking about it now brought the memory back to her lips, and she looked at the flask in her hand. She took another concealed swig, and for the first time in twelve years, it occurred to her that Jiraiya may have put his lips on the bottle before giving it to her.

_PPPPPPPFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTT!_

Sake sprayed all over the papers on her desk. Shizune tsked in annoyance. "Tsunade-sama, I tolerated your drinking all day, even though you tried to hide it. But now you've spilled it over the papers!"

"You'd have spit it out too if you just thought what I thought." It occurred to the Godaime's slightly inebriated brain that she wouldn't mind kissing Jiraiya at the moment. Or maybe that was just the sake.

_Yeah, definitely the liquor, _she decided.

She slid her chair back against the window, daydreaming about the gallant sannin and her lifelong friend until a blur of movement nearly made her lose her balance. She gripped the arm of the chair to steady herself and focused on the blur of purple that had just appeared in front of her. A blur that was wearing an ANBU uniform.

"Yugao, I don't understand why you don't cut or dye your hair," Tsunade said before she thought about it. "It kind of ruins any chance of anonymity."

The girl stiffened minutely, but her voice was even as she replied. "I keep it this way for Hayate, Tsunade-shishou."

Hayate Gekko had been Yugao's lover before he was killed during Orochimaru's invasion. The two of them had been the village's most charming couple, and Yugao had never been the same since his death. No one had come close to repairing the wound his passing had made in her heart, and she wasn't inclined to let anyone try either. Tsunade felt strongly for her because of their similar background and usually kept her in her personal guard. The reason Yugao had been in love, however, made Tsunade giggle a little bit.

She hid her mouth from Yugao's view and turned to Shizune. "Two-man mission," she mouthed.

Shizune stood and yanked the flask out of the Godaime's hand. "You've had quite enough today."

Tsunade pouted briefly before returning her attention to the ANBU. "Report," she said lazily.

"_Hai_! There has been notice from Temari in Shimogakure." She produced a perfectly folded letter from god-knows-where and handed it to the Hokage. It still bore the unbroken Sunagakure seal. Quirking an eyebrow, she opened it and read it quickly.

The alcohol in her system seemed to evaporate instantly with every new line, and she swallowed the lump that had risen in her throat.

"_Kami_ help us."

* * *

…

_Thump! Thump! Thump!_

Something pushed at the edge of his consciousness and Shikamaru jerked awake. He reached out for the warmth that had been his all night, but he felt his hand grasp air instead. The pounding on the outside of the shoji resumed as his breath caught in his throat. He looked around the room, hoping to see her at the desk, or sitting in the corner poking the Go pebbles around, but no. She was gone.

They were coming for him. They were already _there._

_Thump! Thump! Thump! _

"Shikamaru! Wake up!"

He felt his heart begin to pound as the shoji slid open tentatively. A burst of auburn hair was followed by a familiar, chubby face. Familiar, yes, but it wasn't _safe. _It wasn't_ Ino_. He tried to fight it as he felt himself slipping. The chubby face smiled at him.

"Hey, Shikamaru! I've—" And his voice faded into the background as the room started spinning. _His _room. In_ his_ house! He clung to the thought like a lifeline, but the current dragged him deeper.

And then they had him as the man stepped into the room. He felt the shackles yanking his arms up above his head, the fists pounding on his ribcage, the blades drawing chaotic lines across his skin, and the pools of blood dripping out of him as he felt more and more insubstantial every moment. He heard the dull tune of heartache playing somewhere behind him as he wished for the one person who never came, day in and day out. Safety.

But even his heartache couldn't blot out the sound of his blood hitting the floor.

_Drip … Drip …_

And then everything was rushing back to consciousness as he felt a warmth on his chest. He blinked to find his vision obscured by a mass of blonde and he looked past it to Choji, who was looking frightened in the doorway.

"Choji, how could you?" Ino was hollering from where her face was buried in the hollow of his chest. "I was gone for three minutes! Three minutes! I told you not to wake him up!"

"Sorry, Ino," he apologized hastily, looking stricken with guilt. "I thought he'd recognize me, too."

Ino just sobbed hysterically. "I told you how he is, Choji. He only recognizes me, and I don't know why! I didn't ask for this! I'm just glad he's _alive_, okay?"

Choji looked downcast at his failure, choking down a sob. "It kinda hurts when your best friend can't recognize you, though."

Shikamaru's mouth opened before he knew what he was thinking. "I did recognize you."

His voice was hoarse, raspy, but Ino and Choji looked up suddenly.

"What did you say?" Ino asked hesitantly, afraid her ears were betraying her.

"I said … " His voice cracked and Shikamaru cleared his throat. "I said I did recognize you. I just couldn't stop it."

Ino looked troubled. "But … did you recognize Sakura at the hospital?"

He shook his head. "No. I couldn't remember his name, but I remembered Choji being familiar somehow, and I knew I was in my room. It took longer this time. I was more aware … "

He fell silent. What exactly was he aware of? For starters, he was aware that he was bat-shit insane. He was aware that his thought process had been taking much longer than usual of late. He was aware that he couldn't mold chakra—probably Tsunade's doing—and it was probably safer that way. He was aware that he'd kissed Ino and told her his deepest secret without knowing why. Hell, he'd even let her hold his arm like they were together or something.

He was aware that he wasn't himself, even though he was trying his hardest to act like it.

"Shikamaru?" Choji asked quietly.

The shadow nin looked up. "Huh?"

"You stopped talking like three minutes ago." Ino was looking up at him from where she lay, arms still wrapped around him. Her eyes, beautiful pools of lightest blue, shined up at him, steeped in concern, compassion, and worry.

He sighed heavily. "Sorry."

They both looked at him expectantly.

"What?"

They both sighed, exchanging rueful glances. Now he felt distinctly left out of the loop. He felt an itching in his gut, a tiny little scratch of annoyance that begged to be expressed. He squashed it.

"What?" he asked again.

Ino shook her head. "It's nothing, Shika."

Shikamaru ground his teeth in annoyance. It was most definitely_ not_ nothing and they most definitely were keeping something from him deliberately.

He sighed, giving up. It was probably more trouble than it was worth. He put his arm around Ino and sat back against the wall as his stomach growled loudly.

She smiled up at him. "Come on, Shika. Let me cook you some breakfast."

He stared, dumbfounded. Was Ino really volunteering to cook him breakfast? Could this be happening? Yamanaka Ino, the prettiest kunoichi in the world (in his opinion), was willing to get in the kitchen and lift her hand purely for his benefit?

"What about me?" Choji asked, feeling left out. "You've never volunteered to cook me breakfast!"

Ino turned to him, ire in her eyes and voice. "Choji, you hardly _need_ me to cook you breakfast. You cook better than I do!"

He shrugged helplessly. "My mom's a good teacher?"

They stood and made their way into the kitchen, Ino holding onto Shikamaru's hand. For reasons that escaped him, he didn't shy away from the contact.

"So I can't have any?"

"No. It's Shikamaru's breakfast."

Shikamaru frowned. He didn't like his best friend being left out. "I don't mind."

"No one asked you," Ino snapped. Her voice held none of the rancor it usually did, though. "You can cook him breakfast then."

He shrugged helplessly at Choji. "I tried."

Choji just laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "I was half-joking," he said. "I've already had breakfast. I just thought I'd try Ino's burning, I mean, cooking."

She turned and kicked him in the shin.

"OW!"

Shikamaru smirked, now amused as he detoured to the bathroom for his morning leak. Ino leaned against the door, yelling at Choji about how her cooking was leagues better than his was despite the fact that she'd just admitted that he was better minutes ago. He shook his head, laughing to himself as he brushed his teeth and pulled his hair into a quick ponytail before stepping out into the hallway.

Ino scowled at the Akimichi as they strode into the kitchen. Shikamaru sat down as Ino began to bang and crash through the cabinets, pulling out pots, pans, and plates. Shikamaru winced at every sound, knowing that his father would be coming through the door at any minute to demand some peace and quiet.

Sure enough, as Ino was pouring rice into a pot, Shikaku stepped around the corner, reading glasses still on and a book open in his hand. The crashing stopped briefly as she turned around to greet him.

He didn't look happy. "Ino-chan, is there a reason you're making so much noise?"

"Yes there is," she replied boldly. "Choji was making fun of my cooking. _He_ said I burn things, and I _most definitely_ do not! He just can't understand the fact that someone might be better at something than him!"

Choji and Shikamaru stared, dumbstruck. Even Shikaku looked surprised at the outburst. He held his hands up in surrender and backed slowly from the room. "Okay," he said, offering Shikamaru a conspiratorial wink. "Well, try to keep it down, alright?" And he was gone.

Choji looked at her in admiration. "You scared off Shikamaru's dad!"

She blushed, looking slightly pleased with herself as she resumed cooking.

The next few minutes passed in relative silence, with Ino banging around the kitchen just as loudly as she had been before Shikaku's interruption and Choji and Shikamaru discussing in hushed whispers what the jonin's wink could have possibly meant. They finally arrived at the conclusion that he was taking her territorial approach to mean that she was claiming Shikamaru. Well, Choji came to that conclusion anyway, much to Shikamaru's consternation.

"She's not an Inuzuka," he huffed.

"Are you _defending_ her?" Choji waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Shikamaru blushed. "Well, that doesn't matter, I mean what you said—"

"Come on, Shikamaru. Have you at least kissed her?"

His blush deepened, and he was aghast to learn that he could only stammer in surprise at the turn this conversation took. Really, speechless over a _girl_!

"You _did_!" Choji exclaimed merrily as bowls and plates were set down in front of Shikamaru.

"Did what?" Ino asked, hands on her hips.

"Nothing," Shikamaru mumbled.

"You kissed him?" Choji queried, awed.

Now it was Ino's turn to blush, her entire face turning scarlet. Shikamaru couldn't remember her ever looking so embarrassed. It was cute, but he couldn't help wishing that she wouldn't be embarrassed about kissing him. Was it really that bad?

"I did," she said, scrunching her face cutely. "Twice. So there." She turned around and huffed over to the stove, throwing the pots and pans into the sink to start scrubbing them.

Shikamaru smirked, feeling thoroughly satisfied with himself as Choji just gaped. He dug into the food, noting that it tasted quite satisfactory. Not burnt in the slightest, he informed Choji, much to Ino's contentment.

She sat happily next to the spiky haired chuunin as he finished up the last of the rolled omelet when a knock sounded on the front door.

Shikamaru slid out of his seat and trudged to the door, Ino right behind him.

"I got it!" he called to his parents.

He opened it to see a very stern looking Tsunade standing on his stoop.

"Hokage-sama!" he exclaimed, just loudly enough for his parents to hear. He ushered her in as they came quickly out to the foyer, greeting her with polite bows and respectful hellos.

"I'll make this quick," Tsunade said. "I don't have all day. Shikaku, I'm making Naruto Hokage. You know that. I want you to give him the kunai."

The jonin tensed just a bit. "Are you sure? I've been holding onto it for twenty years and I haven't figured out—"

"Of course I'm sure," Tsunade said. "We'll talk."

She dismissed the elder Nara before turning to Ino. Shikamaru and Choji were taken aback by her brusque manner, but Ino stood there as if this was normal behavior.

_Which_, Shikamaru assumed, _for Tsunade, it probably is._

"Ino, I need a progress report. Are his symptoms receding?"

Ino nodded slightly. "This morning Choji woke him up while I wasn't in the room. He said he recognized his room and Choji where he hadn't recognized Sakura before."

Tsunade nodded. "Well, that's good news at least. I'm here because there's a problem arising. We just received a bird from Temari saying that the nations are amassing against us. I need Shikamaru healthy so I can question him. We may have to extract the sedatives forcefully."

Shikamaru paled. The nations were amassing against them? Why? What did that have to do with him? All he'd done is get himself tortured.

_But_ why_ were you tortured? _A voice in the back of his brain asked him. He thought about it. It was a good question. One he'd not yet considered. Why _had_ he been tortured?

_I don't know, _he answered the voice truthfully.

There was the equivalent of an inward sigh in his mind and the voice said nothing more.

"He's not ready!" Ino was protesting vehemently. "That would hurt him! There's no telling what he would do! It might damage his mind irreparably!"

"Yamanaka, I don't need your advice for medicinal practices in—"

"Tsunade-shishou, listen to yourself!" Ino said. Choji's eyes nearly popped out of his head and Shikamaru stared at her like she'd grown an extra head. Had she really just interrupted the Hokage? Ino had always been bold and brash, but this was something beyond her normal attitude.

Even Tsunade looked taken aback.

"What did you just call me? Yamanaka! We're the foremost experts on the human mind _in the world_, save maybe Ibiki Moreno. I'm telling you that would hurt more than it helped!"

Tsunade frowned and put a hand on the young woman's shoulder. "Ino, I understand the feelings you have right now, and it's hard to say this after what I went through myself. But … I have to think of the village and the country before I can afford to spare Shikamaru."

Realization dawned on Ino, and she finally understood what Tsunade was saying. Shikamaru felt a chill settle in his gut and Choji looked as if he wanted to explode with anger.

"Tsunade-sama, you can't!" She backed away until she bumped into the wall behind her and slid down it looking horrified. She landed on her butt with a thump. "But Shikamaru is … he's … you said he was too valuable!"

Now Tsunade looked ill at ease. Shikaku and Yoshino reappeared in the doorway, taking in the scene. "What's going on?"

Tsunade looked away, failing to meet their eyes. "We have to take a risk in Shikamaru's care. The nations are massing against us, and we have to know what he was planning in Shimogakure. We'll have to … forcibly extract the information otherwise."

Shikaku stepped forward aggressively in a rare display of anger and Yoshino grabbed him by his shirt, looking more troubled than he had ever seen her.

"You can't do that!" he said quickly. "That's my _son_! What are you going to do, torture him? Treat him like some renegade?"

"Shikaku, get a hold of yourself!" Tsunade barked. "Shikamaru is a man now by any standard and he has to face the consequences of his actions! Hell, he was a man the moment he put on that hitai-ate!"

Shikaku seethed, but he couldn't refute her logic.

"Shikamaru failed his mission, and this is one of the consequences. From Temari's report, the entire Fire Country might be destroyed if we can't find out what he knows."

Shikamaru felt the world dimming around him at those words. Images flashed through his mind. Ino pulling him out of a cage, peeling his swollen eye open. Blood everywhere. Bodies. Goro, dead. Impaled with the very sword he'd used to torture him.

"No, I didn't."

"What?"

Every eye had turned to him. He withered under the attention, focusing on Ino's hopeful blue gaze. He felt comfort pour into him just knowing she was there. No one would hurt him as long as she was there.

"I said I didn't fail. Don't ask me why or how because I don't know, but I didn't fail the mission."

"What are you talking about, Shikamaru?" Tsunade asked, "Ino told us you blamed us for the fire. She said they captured you and asked you about her. And you told them."

He shook his head as the violent memories threatened to throw him back into that catatonic state.

"I … I don't know what that means. What fire? I don't remember the mission. I just know I didn't fail it. I told them about Ino because they stopped … hurting me … when I talked about her. I don't know why, but they just wouldn't do it. I told them … I told them she was beautiful, and smart … "

_A knife ran through his leg, missing his femoral artery by inches. Purposefully. He screamed in pain, wishing it would end. Cuts, slices across his stomach. Blood ran down his gut, pooling on the floor beneath him. _

"_Ino," he croaked. And the pain stopped. "My teammate … "_

Shikamaru shuddered as he relived the memory. Ino stood and stroked his cheek gently. "I'm right here, Shika. No one's going to hurt you."

He kept his eyes on her, focusing on his memories.

"I told them she was tough and loud and … just like my mom. And they started hurting me and I passed out. I didn't tell them what she was, or where she was from, or anything really. Just what I thought about her.

Tsunade softened.

"I'm glad you didn't betray your teammate, Shikamaru. But that doesn't stop them from attacking us. I'll give you until midnight tomorrow. I suggest you write down everything you remember. Ino, try to jog his memory. I want you two in my office tomorrow night with everything he remembers. We'll have to hope that's enough."

Shikaku stiffened. "Or what?"

Tsunade drew herself up to her full height and stared him down. "Or I will proceed with my original plan."

And she swept away, leaving the five of them in silence. Shikamaru looked at his feet, unable to meet any of their eyes. He knew they were looking at him, knew they were staring and trying to figure out what he had done.

If only he knew himself …

* * *

_Please read and review! You know i love hearing your opinions! You guys shape the story more than you know!_

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	16. Namikaze's Secret

_A/N: Poooo! I can't believe how busy I've been lately! I feel terrible that my updates have been so slow! On the other hand, this one's over 10,000 words! they just keep getting longer and longer! anywhoo, this chapter is really important plot-wise, and i couldnt bring myself to do a rewrite when a regular write took so long already (and i changed it like 3 times) so i'm not particularly happy with how it came out...i guess all stories have chapters the authors hate..._

_I'm rambling now. Mendokuse..._

**Chapter 16**

**Namikaze's Secret**

Hinata Hyuga was a survivor. She had weathered warfare and overcome obstacles that would have cowed a lesser woman. She prided herself on her kindness in a world where kindness was a weakness and strength was everything. She held her chin high because of her moral compass while doing a job that was considered tainted by career criminals.

So it was not a surprise to her when those things were biting her in the butt.

"Tsubaki! Flank left!" she ordered, peering into the deep woods with her Byakugan active. She could see nearly eighty meters into the dark, unaffected by the lack moonlight piercing the canopy overhead, unaffected by the rain that soaked her to the bone, making her purple clothing cling to her in all sorts of uncomfortable places.

She, without turning her head, saw the chunin to her right dart off behind her, passing around the side of the marsh in the dim light. His movements were entirely silent, masked by the soft patter of the rain on the leaves around them. The marsh was eerily dark and uncomfortably loud, and every rustle heard over the storm sent shivers down her spine. She pushed the fear out of her mind, focusing on the one thing that helped her in these situations.

Naruto. He was fearless, or at least, he appeared to be. He would probably be yelling out some challenge to the ninja Hinata and her unit had been tracking, Frightening the poor man into a heart attack and hasty surrender. The thought brought a small smile to the Hyuga heiress' lips.

"Kiba, still no sign of him?" She asked quietly.

The Inuzuka shook his head roughly, seemingly as much to answer her question as to express his displeasure at having rain soaking his mane.

"Nah, me an' Akamaru are blind. Why do you think I'm letting you bark out orders?"

Hinata blushed at this, but said nothing. Kiba was usually much more assertive, but the rain and darkness had negated all of his and Akamaru's wonderfully powerful senses.

"Shino?" Hinata whispered to the green hooded man behind her. Shino Aburame stood on a branch in plain sight as if being hidden were an afterthought to him.

"I cannot detect the subject in question," he replied. "Why? Because my kikaichu's mobility is severely hampered in this deluge."

Hinata translated that in her head to 'rain makes Shino's bugs slow.' She had long since learned to account for his unique style of speech. It was amusing at times, especially when he told jokes, but she'd never say that to him. She'd much rather he keep thinking she laughed because his jokes were funny than hurt his feelings after all these years.

She kept her eyes on the fourth member of their team, a man named Korin Tsubaki. He ducked and wove through the branches ahead, using his chakra sensing techniques to try and pinpoint their quarry. The team had been dispatched after an emergency alarm in konohgakure. An Amegakure spy had been identified after stealing several important documents and their team, the best combination of tracker-ninja in the village, had been assigned with recovering the documents and the spy, if possible. They were now four days into the chase and very low on rations, by Shino's count thirty five kilometers beyond the Fire Country borders and well into Amegakure and now it was raining like hell. And it was Hinata's kindness that got them in this predicament.

They had caught the man, cornered him only a day or so outside of Konoha and as Hinata was about to knock him out with a Jyuuken strike to the neck when he'd begun begging and crying. Hinata hesitated and it had nearly cost her life. The man took advantage of that split second of hesitation and nearly impaled her on a tanto he had strapped to his leg. Only Kiba's timely intervention had saved her and the man took off, running faster and more erratically than before. They had hounded him closely until the rainfall started, then Akamaru lost the scent and their progress had been slow. Tsubaki had been invaluable, detecting faint traces of chakra left on branches and leaves that he had brushed against in his flight.

It hardly mattered now, since they were so far into the Land of Rain, he could hide quite easily if it so occurred to him to use the local population to do so. Their time was running out and Hinata urged her group forward, crashing through the underbrush as they approached an outlying town.

Tsubaki suddenly pulled up short from his position on point and held up a fist. Hinata stopped so suddenly Shino nearly bowled her over and they both teetered on a branch silently, looking down in growing horror at the sight below them. Hundreds of shinobi marched along the path below them, a line of soldiers stretching as far as Hinata could see in the dark. It was lucky they were moving under such conditions. It hid the troops from detection and allowed the nation to amass its force without arousing suspicion, but it also saved the Konohan's lives.

They immediately dampened their chakra and Hinata let her enhanced vision fade as she suppressed her energy, letting the world fall back into a black muddle of motion and washed out color. The beautiful white landscape she saw when her bloodline was active was as pure and unblemished as Hinata herself and she sorely missed it each time she deactivated her prized dojutsu.

Not to mention the extremely limited field of vision. It annoyed her that she could no longer watch Shino's back even though he was behind her, or that she could not see Kiba's tense expression as he regarded the scene below.

The man they had been chasing had fallen into line with these troops, and it would be suicide to pursue him further. They had failed and that knowledge burned in her gut. She glanced at Kiba, fighting the urge to bite her nails in worry and he looked back defiantly. She didn't need words to hear his arrogant voice over the rain.

_We can take 'em!_ His eyes seemed to say.

She shook her head vehemently, not wishing any of her teammates to die here and he sagged visibly, leaning on the truck of the tree and pulling a kunai from his leg pouch and using it to sharpen his already inhumanly long canines.

After a short while, the line of troops tricked off into the distance and Kiba was the first to speak.

"What the _fuck_!" he yelled, obviously frustrated. "We almost had him!"

Hinata said nothing, her cheeks burning with shame at her earlier failure.

"You cannot blame yourself," Shino said quietly behind her. "It is not often that we fail to apprehend a subject. Why? Because we are the best at what we do. If we did not catch him it could not be done."

"Easy for you to say," Kiba said, scoffing. He'd heard easily with his enhanced senses. "They're about to make you a Jonin and put you on a tracker-nin squad."

Hinata could hear the hint of bitterness in his voice. Kiba was immensely competitive and admitting that someone was ahead of him in status or ability was akin to actual tears from him.

"Y-you're very talented too, K-kiba-kun," Hinata said, before cursing herself for stuttering. She could normally speak quite easily around these two. "I heard you were being considered for t-tokubetsu jonin."

His eyes lit up as he turned his attention to her. "Really?"

"It is a fact," Shino answered. "Your name did come up in discussions once, however this mission will likely be a detriment to your cause, since you were the official squad leader. I will be excused from blame. Why? My kikaichu were hampered by unforeseen circumstance."

Kiba glared at him sourly. "Jackass."

"The real b-blame," Hinata found herself saying, "B-belongs to me." She hung her head, thinking again of her moment of weakness. "I d-don't know if I'm meant for this job. I should ask Ino-chan for a job with her flower shop. I'd l-like that."

"C'mon, Hina, don't say things like that," Kiba said, sitting on the wet branch beside her. "Anybody might have hesitated. The guy was a mess!"

But Hinata could hear the tiny note of surety that was missing in Kiba's voice. He was lying for her benefit. Again. Just like he'd always done, like he'd always made sure Shino did and even Kurenai-sensei sometimes. He was so nice to her.

"No, Kiba-kun," She said forcefully, surprising even herself. "I'm simply not made for this. Naruto-kun always has to-"

"Not again," Kiba said, cutting her off. He stood angrily. "Its always 'Naruto' this 'naruto' that! I'm sick of hearing about that guy! Naruto's not a member of this team, hell he barely knows you!"

"Kiba!" Shino barked warningly.

Both of them thought that Hinata was unaware of Kiba's feelings for her, but it wasn't that she was unaware. Not at all. She didn't know how to address such things. Years ago, she had gone to visit Shino and overheard a conversation between the two which discussed-in embarrassing detail- exactly how he felt. Shino had made him promise not to tell her or to hold a grudge against Naruto for her attatchment to him either and he'd reluctantly agreed. He'd kept that promise, even if he had been more than a little overprotective of her since.

Now, to hear him go back on his word like that shocked her to no end and she felt a hot flush of guilt at ignoring her friend for so long. Especially over a boy who-and she admitted this only because he'd pointed it out seconds ago- hardly knew her.

"I'm sick of keeping this promise, Shino," Kiba said, disgust in his voice. "I'm sick of this whole thing. I quit being a ninja. I don't want this anymore." He turned to Hinata passion in his eyes. "What I want is _you. _It always has been! Naruto ain't paying you any attention, even after you saved him from Pain! He's got Sakura and he's as stuck on her as you are on him, so at least be smarter than him. You can see everything in 360 degrees and x ray vision but you can't see who's right in front of you, huh?"

Hinata's heart crumpled at his words and tears flowed from the corners of her eyes. "Kiba-kun…"

But Shino looked irate and even Akamaru growled at his master. _That _surprised everyone, even Kiba himself. He shot a betrayed look at his ninten and flopped back against the tree. "You too, huh, Akamaru? Geez, everyone's against me. If I'm mission leader, then its mission over. We're going home."

And he jumped to the forest floor.

A spike of chakra surged below Hinata and she activated her Byakugan reflexively. The picture below unfolding in front of her. Four shinobi dashed at the ninja as he touched down, his eyes widening in fear and surprise as he realized too late the mistake he'd made Hinata leapt from the tree, lauching into her eight trigrams heavenly spin as she sought to put herself between herself and his attackers. The chakra expelled from her tenketsu drained her but when she stopped spinning Kiba was alive and well behind her, if quite surprised and four Ame ninja had kept their distance.

"Check it out," the first one said. "A main branch Hyuga. Two Byakugans to split up today, huh?"

"The plural of Byakugan is also Byakugan," Shino cut in, leaping from the tree to join Hinata in Kiba's defense. "Why? I don't know, but saying 'Byakugans' made you sound stupid."

Kiba smirked. "That's as close to a joke as you get, Shino, but it was kinda funny. I'm sorry, Hinata. I was being a jerk." He assumed a fighting stance on her right and Tsubaki stayed hidden above, undetected and ready to help if necessary.

"So you're the rear guard, huh?" Kiba continued. "My question is, who's gonna guard your rear?"

Hinata made a face and Akamaru whimpered sadly.

"Yeah, that was pretty bad, wasn't it, boy?"

"That's as close to a joke as you get, Kiba, but it wasn't very funny," Shino said, smirking back.

"Shutup you."

The lead ninja shifted his stance slightly and Hinata watched chakra coil around his fists. Apparently he was unhampered by the inclement weather, as her two teammates were.

She stepped out in front of them. "Let me handle this, you two. I will not hesitate."

She could do this. She_ had_ to do this. All of them relaxed their posture just a bit.

"You all done playin' footsie over there? Bring it princess, I've got your Byakugans right here."

Shino grimaced as they leapt forward and Hinata drew a kunai in one smooth motion, bringing it to parry a strike from the nearest enemy. A feint. One of them snuck up behind her, in her blind spot. She knew, because she could only see three of them. She whirled around and delivered an open palm strike to his chest, closing the tenketsu linking to his heart. He died instantly and she gasped, hearing Kiba and Shino do the same.

She'd never killed with Jyuuken before, but that was…so easy. One second he was alive and the next…

The other ninja paused, wondering what they were up against and she composed herself. Now wasn't the time to focus on such things. They obviously knew quite a bit about her bloodline and if she wasn't careful, she'd end up just as dead as the Amegakure shinobi.

Suddenly, one of the remaining ninja formed a few hand seals and Hinata watched his chakra coil into his brain a genjutsu. She'd watched Kurenai-sensei perform a million of these, including the one he was about to cast and her hands were already racing together to force her chakra into its regular pattern.

"Kai!" she exclaimed, the very moment he cast his illusion. It broke without ever touching her and she attacked the shocked man, finding an opening in his defense immediately. She ducked a ration jutsu from his partner and struck him once, twice, disabling two of his chakra points. Strike two, four more disabled. Strike three and four and five and thirty two of his chakra points were useless. She kicked him hard in the side of the head and his body fell limply to the ground, thoroughly unconscious.

Facing off at the next two, she saw one had lightning curled around his arm and ducked just in time, seeing the blast light the tree behind her in an electrical fire. The light illuminated the next second in painful clarity. It was yet another feint, but this time, the attack wasn't meant for her. The second ninja barreled straight for a very surprised looking Kiba, a sword aiming for his gut.

Hinata felt pain and sorrow and guilt and anger race through her body all at once and only a single thought passed through her mind even as Shino raised his hand to summon a wall of bugs. _Body flicker._

She pumped chakra into every cell of body and leapt toward Kiba, not bothering to disguise her movement. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that she got there in time.

She reappeared in front of him almost instantly, pushing chakra into her palms to deflect the sword. "Eight trigrams Heavenly- URK!"

The sword ran her through as her hand missed the blade by centimeters. The ninja had moved it, anticipating her defense. Red tint seeped into the white beauty of her Byakugan and she glanced down at the hilt of the blade pushing through her stomach. _I'll survive this_, she thought absently. Hinata Hyuga was a survivor, after all. It didn't matter that the beautiful white field was turning red. It didn't matter the smirk that grew on the Ame ninja's face.

Shino's bugs arrived at that very instant, and Tsubaki had leapt from the tree far too late, cutting down the last Ame ninja in a surprise strike. The sword stayed buried in Hinata's gut and she realized dimly that it didn't really hurt. She couldn't feel much of anything actually.

She toppled backwards and something arrested her fall, but she couldn't tell what it was as her eyes fel shut. The rain had felt so good against her soft skin just a moment ago. The flow of her chakra was so warm and reassuring compared to this…this...

* * *

…

_Cold..._Long eyelashes blinked white flakes out of the cyan eyes they guarded. Temari glanced over her shoulder as she strode off into the cold, taking in Hibiki's pained expression without so much as a bat of her eyelash. The boy was annoying to her. That was all there was to it. She wouldn't miss the brat at all.

He and his sister stood at the village gates to see her off. Mayuri rested a hand on each of their shoulders with a warm smile on her face that belied the frigid air. They were standing knee deep in snow right now, and for what? They could have said goodbye at the damn inn.

_Inefficient,_ she criticized silently. _Just like civilians._

No one was outside in this blizzard. Hell, even the few jonin guarding the gates looked upset about having duty, and it was their _job_ to be outside.

"Bye, Mean Lady!" Hibiki cried over the howling gale. Hikari just waved, looking sad.

Temari pulled her cloak tighter around her neck as she turned away and threw her hand up in a casual wave. "Yeah, yeah."

She stepped through the enormous gates and didn't look back. Stupid kids.

She didn't know what it was about the boy, but he'd somehow talked her into calling a contractor to fix the roof at her own personal expense and leaving behind most of the travel fund that Suna had granted her to pay for Chokichi's medical care. It would mean that she'd be staying at nothing but cut-rate motels on the trip back, and there would be a lot of explaining about why twenty thousand ryo went missing. She'd tell Gaara it was for damages or something.

Of course, Temari didn't _really_ care if the old man croaked. He was annoying and senile most of the time, and just plain lewd the rest of it. Honestly, how Mayuri put up with that was beyond her. She was really a good one. She just didn't want it on Tayuya's conscience was all, 'cause the moment Temari stepped through Konoha's gates, she was going to rip that girl a new one. Damn infernal redhead demon spawn. Costing her five hundred ryo for a roof and another two hundred for a front desk.

Temari harrumphed as she pushed out into the storm and dashed forward as the gates closed behind her. Snow slapped in her face as she made her way towards the border at top speed. She couldn't wait to get somewhere warm.

* * *

…

Uzumaki Naruto sat at rapt attention in Nara Shikaku's study. The older man looked at him over his reading glasses, his hands folded on the cherry wood desk between them. In front of him was a lockbox, and inside was the subject of the meeting they were having.

"I don't understand," Naruto said. "Why would my father have left something with you? Why not Ero-sennin or the Sandaime?"

Shikaku's lip twitched. "Because," he replied, "I was one of your father's best friends. He told me to give it to you when I thought you were ready. Tsunade has told me to give it to you now instead."

He pushed the box toward Naruto and the blond took it hesitantly, trepidation coloring his blue eyes.

"What's in it?"

Shikaku just stared at him, and he grinned sheepishly before opening it. He looked on in confusion at the content before lifting an oddly shaped kunai from the box's innards.

"I don't get it. It's just an old kunai. Shaped kinda funny, though."

Shikaku rolled his eyes. "It's _Minato's_ kunai, boy. You see that formula etched into the handle?"

Naruto held it gingerly by the blade and read it.

"What the hell does this mean? I'm no good at math."

Shikaku pushed his glasses into his hair and rubbed his face with both hands. He was really going to have to spell it out for the boy, huh? This experience was making him appreciate Shikamaru's intelligence all the more.

"Naruto, don't you know anything about Minato?"

The boy shook his head sadly, his eyes downcast. "Not really, no. Nobody ever told me about him."

Shikaku sighed. "When we were at war, Minato had this technique for sensing when people were coming. Most people—myself included—thought it was just some sensory jutsu and dismissed it. We didn't understand why Minato kept working on it even after the sensory part was complete. Eventually, he used the formula that you see there to transport himself instantaneously between locations. Most of the formula he wrote down was on paper. Twenty years ago. And he never put it into a scroll, making it officially a hidden jutsu. That kunai was one of the few he made that had the formula engraved onto it, meaning that it wouldn't fade with time."

Naruto still looked confused.

"Boy, what you're holding is—in all the world—the last written record of his jutsu. I've kept it safe for twenty years, and now I guess Tsunade wants you to learn it. I don't know the theory behind it. It's yours to experiment with, but it would take another genius of Minato's caliber to figure it out." Shikaku looked pointedly toward a picture of Shikamaru hanging on the wall behind Naruto. The blonde followed his gaze.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, as if suddenly getting a brainwave. "Kakashi-sensei's a genius! And he was Minato's student! I bet he knows!"

Shikaku sighed. "Kakashi-kun is very smart, yes, but I've already asked him. Even with his sharingan, he couldn't copy Minato's jutsu. He could tell you how to mold your chakra in order to complete it, but he wasn't any help reverse engineering the jutsu."

"So if Kakashi-sensei doesn't know, who the heck could do it?"

Shikaku jerked his head toward the picture again. "Another genius. Maybe one of your _classmates_."

Naruto looked at the picture. "I dunno … Shikamaru's smart and all, but … "

"Just ask the boy!"

Naruto sighed. "I guess I can ask him. He_ is_ pretty smart."

Shikaku sighed, pushing his glasses back onto his nose and picking up his book.

"Run along now. I've got reading to catch up on."

Naruto held the kunai reverently before putting it back in the box and closing it.

Shikaku watched him go, thinking hard as he turned toward Shikamaru's room. "Don't wake him up."

Naruto reappeared in the doorway, heading toward the front of the house without a word.

Shikaku sighed, closed his book, and stood to usher the jinchuuriki out. He watched him as he went down the path toward the inner city before turning to walk the other direction, heading deeper into the Nara compound.

He stopped at the clan stables and pushed the front door open. No one was there to greet him. No animals were actually kept inside. It was a place that was used to store equipment and tools for managing the vast herds of deer. And for managing clan prisoners. He stepped behind the desk in the wide reception area and sidestepped the chairs that were laid out for any potential visitors. There weren't many. Deer herding wasn't particularly interesting.

Pressing his hand against a very specific section of the wooden wall, he pushed lightly. The wood leapt to the side, revealing a heavy metal door. He made two quick hand seals, muttered, "Kage nui no Jutsu," and extended his shadow underneath the door, reaching it up to turn the lock from inside. The door swung open and he released the jutsu, then stepped down into an enormous underground bunker.

The first room was, again, a reception area. It was furnished nicely with oak tables and leather chairs. If there ever was a monumental catastrophe, the entire Nara clan could slip into this bunker and exit the tunnels in the back four miles into their clan forests and three miles from Konoha's gates. As for now, the bunker was being used as a detention area. He stepped into the closest approximation of a bedroom they had—Ensui had dragged a mattress down into the conference room and removed the table—and greeted their prisoner.

Tayuya sat on the floor, apparently having avoided the mattress completely. Shikaku sighed. She had been like this since they took her from Konoha detention. They hadn't shackled her or treated her poorly. She was being fed three substantial meals a day, allowed to roam the bunker at her discretion, and allowed to ask any question she liked within reason. But all she did was sit on the ground in the conference room and growl at anyone who approached.

It was Shikaku's first time visiting her himself, but he doubted Ensui had done anything appalling in his care of her.

She looked up at him, her eyes brimming with barely contained fury. He saw her nose twitch, and he quirked an eyebrow. Was she … sniffing him?

"You … you have Shikamaru-sama's scent."

_Shikamaru-sama_? That was a new development. Not only was it odd that she had spoken, since she'd done nothing but grunt at anyone else, but Shikamaru_-sama_? He guessed that answered the question about her loyalty. What had Shikamaru been up to in Shimogakure, anyway? If he hadn't gone through the same mental struggles his son had during puberty, he would have strongly considered the possibility of him being gay due to his attitude toward women. Now just a few years later, he had Temari checking up on him every few months, Ino draped all over him, and this redhead calling him Shikamaru-sama. It didn't make sense.

"I'm his father," Shikaku said to the woman, crouching in front of her. "Why do you call him that?"

"He is my master," she mumbled. "I am but a tool."

It was now beyond the ability of a single eyebrow raise to properly express his surprise. "I'm guessing that's something Orochimaru taught—"

"Fuck that snake!" she hollered suddenly, her eyes wild. "He's dead! Dead! I know the truth now!"

He reached out his hand tentatively, resting it on her shoulder. Her head fell and a mass of red covered her face as she began shaking uncontrollably, crying.

"Shikamaru-sama showed me the truth. He is good to me."

Shikaku wondered yet again what his son had been doing._ He_ sure hadn't had a bunch of attractive young women all crazy about him at eighteen. Hell, he practically had to _beg _Yoshino to marry him when he was twenty-four and clan head.

"What did Shikamaru show you? What did he do?"

Tayuya looked up, tears falling unabashedly from the corners of her eyes. They pooled in her lap, staining the brown fabric of her trousers.

"He fixed me. I can hear him again," she moaned. "Shikamaru-sama killed him, and he fixed me!"

Shikaku sighed, quickly tiring of the nonsensical answers.

"Yes, but what did he _do_?"

Tayuya frowned before letting her face fall into a droopy, lazy expression that could only be an imitation of the genius.

"Come here," she said, her voice a higher-pitched carbon copy of his drawl. "That curse seal is something I can fix. You won't hear Orochimaru's orders anymore."

Her face resumed its normal expression, but Shikaku's eyebrows had practically shot off his forehead.

"What else did he do?" he asked.

Tayuya scrunched her forehead in concentration. She resumed the disinterested expression and pushed her hair back over her shoulder, revealing the seal on the back of her neck. She made about a dozen hand seals and then pressed three fingers around the tattoo.

"There," she said in her Shikamaru voice. "Better?"

"He suppressed your seal," Shikaku breathed. He hadn't even known Shikamaru could do that kind of fuinjutsu. His mind whirled, forming conclusions based on the information he had. "Orochimaru was giving you orders through your cursed seal. You were bound to his will until you suppressed it."

She nodded, her chin drooping back to her chest. "Shikamaru-sama was good to me … I want to serve him, but … "

"But?"

Tayuya looked up at Shikaku again, and the intensity in her gaze shot lances of fear into his gut. "But I hear his voice again."

* * *

…

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

"Shikamaru!"

Black eyes snapped open, and the wooden ceiling swam into focus. Shikamaru was laying down after a good, long sleep. Bad things hadn't happened in his dreams this time. He hadn't watched Hinata die for the first time in days. He knew why too. Ino was tucked into the crook of his arm, her head rising and falling slowly on his chest. Her warmth and comfort had been his yet again.

Every time he laid down they began just holding hands so he could take her presence with him into the pitch black of sleep but within an hour, she was wrapped in his arms. In the hospital, it was he who initiated the contact. He who pulled her in tight, but since they'd arrived at his estate, since he'd kissed her...he'd simply awoken halfway through the night to Ino snuggling closer, her deep blue eye half lidded and too gut wrenchingly needy to resist.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

He didn't want to move. He wanted to stay that way until the sun dipped below the horizon again but waking up like this was becoming quite annoying.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

"Hey, Shikamaru, I know you're in there!" The voice was whiny, raspy, and more than a little annoying first thing in the morning.

"Dammit, Naruto," Shikamaru moaned, lifting his head. "What do you want?"

Ino stirred and lifted her head. Something large and ugly reared its head in his gut.

_Now he's waking my woman too…_

Ino looked up at him curiously, and he was brought back to his senses.

_Where did_ that _come from?_

Behind him, the shoji slid open and Shikamaru craned his neck to look back at him.

The blonde had stopped short, his eyes wide and surprised as he took in the scene.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed. "You two really are getting married, huh?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "Where did you hear that from?"

"What is it, Naruto?" Ino asked, irritation in her voice. She put her arm across Shikamaru, resting her chin on his chest.

He held up a weathered wooden box and waved his hand over it mysteriously. "Shikamaru, how would you like to solve a decades old mystery? A problem so complex that only someone of your mental caliber could solve? The mystery of the Yondaime Hokage!"

Shikamaru frowned. "Forget it. It sounds like a lot of work." He laid his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes.

"Wait, but Shikamaru—"

"Who told you to say all that anyway?" Ino interrupted, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "You've never tried to butter anybody up before. You normally just blurt out the first thing that comes to mind."

Naruto opened his mouth to explain, but closed it again without uttering a word. "Sakura-chan," he said, hanging his head in defeat.

"Naruto! You weren't supposed to_ tell_ them!" said a voice from around the corner, just out of sight.

Shikamaru sighed. This was quickly becoming a crowd. A twitch of annoyance came up in his gut again, begging to be expressed. He couldn't think of anything that would properly convey how he felt, so he just sighed again and covered his face with his arm.

"Hello, Sakura," he said. To his surprise, Ino tensed up where she lay beside him.

"What are _you _doing here?" she spat.

Sakura stuck her head from around the corner, sticking her tongue out at the blonde woman. "I'm just helping Naruto since Shikamaru won't do it if you just ask him."

Shikamaru grimaced. He didn't want to get involved in this project. If it got his attention, he'd focus everything on solving it, usually at the expense of everything else he was doing, and he already had to try and remember why he had been tortured before tomorrow night.

"Naruto, I can't right now," he said. "I've got something else important to work on."

"But it's—"

"Something very important," he repeated. "If I can, I'll help you in a few days. Ask Kakashi-sensei in the meantime. Or Shiho."

Only Ino caught the note of regret in his voice when he said, "If I can."

Naruto turned away sadly. "I thought you might want to help, since it's all I have left of my dad. He left his legacy with your family, 'cause you're the only people smart enough to figure it out. Please, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru sighed heavily. _Why _did he have to go and give him a guilt trip? Now he couldn't refuse. Well, he _could,_ but he'd feel like a complete ass for the rest of his life.

"Fine," he said, sitting up.

Sakura stepped into the room excitedly and hugged Naruto. "See! I told you it would work!"

He frowned. "Hey, what did you say?"

The pinkette held up her hands innocently. "Before you jump to conclusions, no, we didn't plan that. I just told Naruto to tell you how he really felt about it."

He scowled, still unhappy about being coerced into this, but one look at Ino's face told him that she was happy he was helping his friend. He stood and stretched, yawning loudly before taking the box from Naruto and shuffling over to his desk, still rubbing sleep from his eyes.

He flicked on the lamp and opened the box before jerking back in surprise. "Naruto, you said the Yondaime left this with _my_ family?"

Naruto nodded stiffly. "It's just a kunai."

"Just a kunai?" Shikamaru picked up the legendary weapon. "This is like the Holy Grail of kunai, Naruto. It's worth more than a kunai made of solid gold."

Naruto frowned and rubbed the back of his neck as Sakura hugged him excitedly. "See, Naruto! It's super valuable! Not just some dusty old knife!"

Ino shuffled over to lean on the wall beside Shikamaru's desk, the blanket still wrapped around her slender form. "It doesn't look that special," she said peering over his shoulder.

He held it up in the light, letting the inscription show where it was etched into the handle.

"This is the formula for the Hiraishin no Jutsu. Countries would bankrupt themselves for a chance to learn this technique."

All of them looked at the knife reverently as Shikamaru put it back on the table and drew a pen and paper from his desk. He copied the formula painstakingly, making sure every stroke was identical.

"It's based on some mathematical principle," he said, examining the words on the page. "But from which one, I'm not sure. Did my father tell you anything else?"

Naruto nodded. "He said it was a sensor technique first before he figured out how to transport people through it."

Shikamaru nodded, going over the formula yet again.

"Can you figure it out?" Sakura asked hopefully.

Shikamaru turned around. "Sakura, let's say you built a giant computer to calculate the answer to the ultimate question, like the question of the meaning of life. The computer ran the numbers, and comes out with a completely random output. It gives you something that makes no sense at all. Like…" he cast about in his mind for something random. "Forty-two or something. Now you don't know the question, but you have the answer. You guys are asking me to re-create the question with nothing but the answer."

Naruto was the first to speak. "So that formula equals forty-two?"

Sakura whacked him on the back of his head. "No, dummy, it was an example. He's saying it's an impossible problem. In basic algebra you need to understand the variables on both sides of an equation, not just the answer."

"I suck at algebra. You know that!" Naruto protested. "I'm a shinobi, not a mathematician!"

"Clearly," Shikamaru intoned dryly. "But I wasn't saying the problem is impossible, Sakura."

Sakura looked up, surprised. "But how can you—"

"Please, Forehead." Ino cut her off. "If you keep talking, Shika's going to go into some long-winded explanation and _all _of our heads are going to hurt. Shika, explain, but keep it simple. Me soldier, you genius."

He shot her an annoyed glare, and she smiled back with a little too sweetly. "Anyway," he said, scratching his head. "There are scientific principles that this problem is based on. We'll have to retrace Namikaze Minato's steps to find which principles he used, and then I can re-create the original argument."

Sakura looked impressed and Ino beamed at him, looking immensely pleased.

"I don't even know what you're talking about. You mean ninjutsu is based on science?" Naruto looked even more confused than before.

Shikamaru sighed. "Only the most complex jutsus have scientific bases. Normal ninjutsu can be _explained_ scientifically, but that's about it. Our first step, though, is to go to the Konoha Public Library."

They all looked puzzled.

He shooed Naruto and Sakura out of his room. "We have to look at their records and search through every book the Yondaime ever checked out."

"Aww!" Naruto groaned. "That'll take forever!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes as he slid the shoji shut. Ino folded the blanket and set it down at the foot of his mattress, and he grinned.

"Nice pajamas," he said as she opened her duffel bag in the corner of his room. She was wearing loose purple pants that shimmered in the light as if covered in glitter and a pink tube top that showed off just enough pale skin of her perfect stomach.

Shikamaru let himself stare just a bit, enjoying the feeling of not forcing himself to look away from something he liked. He had done that for more than five years as Ino became a woman, averting his eyes so they wouldn't betray his emotions. Telling her that her body was impractical for a shinobi when, in actuality, he admired it. He'd just been trying to get her to tone it down so he could focus a little better on things that weren't Ino. The first five years of his shinobi career were prioritized as follows:

1. Protect Ino.

2. Complete objective.

3. Don't stare at Ino's boobs while protecting her and/or completing objective.

It hadn't been very efficient, and he was enjoying the fact he got to stare now.

She turned around to face him, hands on her hips. The body parts in question moved just a bit under her tight shirt. "See something you like?" she asked coyly.

Suddenly his mouth was dry and he licked his lips before speaking.

"Yeah. The future."

He crossed the room and pushed her gently against the wall, pinning her warmth beneath him. The touch of her body on his own sent a fire through his veins that quelled every impulse he had sit back down and do nothing, and his hand moved to stroke her cheek on its own accord. His fingers brushed her impossibly soft skin and his thumb made its way over her supple lips, paving the way for his own to press tenderly against them.

It was only the third time he'd kissed her in his life, and yet it felt like the moment would never end. Her arms wrapped around his neck and his hands fell to her hips, feeling the heat rising to the surface of her bare skin. Her scent filled his nose with the heady aroma of soap and flowers and he was dimly aware that he'd never seen her use perfume in his life. She just always seemed to smell like that and now that simple fact that he'd always taken for granted was driving him absolutely crazy.

The moment warped into two, then three and her slight gasps and subtle moans encouraged him to go further and his hands pushed the hem of her shirt upwards, exploring the unblemished body he'd admired for so long. His kisses trailed down her jawline to her neck and he nipped at her earlobe as he passed it, his legendary self control breaking down at the insistence of her body. Her hands gripped his shoulders and her nails raked across his back as she silently begged for more and his mouth returned to hers, pressing against her pillow-soft lips until the air from his nose simply wasn't sufficient.

They finally broke apart, panting. He crooked the corner of his mouth slightly upward. She blushed and slid down the wall, looking completely flustered and at a loss for words. He stepped into his closet and plucked a black, long sleeved shirt from the rows of identical garbs and pulled it on, along with some clean pants.

Ino opened the closet door as he buckled his belt and clicked her tongue, looking disapprovingly over the contents of his closet. He rolled his eyes, knowing what she was about to say.

"Shika, we've gotta get you a new wardrobe." Her voice sounded shaken somewhat, as if the experience she'd had was so new she wasn't quite over the passion in his kiss. As if only returning to trite and familiar conversation could remedy that difference.

Same old, same old. She'd been saying that since the first time he'd let her in his bedroom when they were still kids. Incidentally, it had been the last time he'd let her in his bedroom since they were children.

Ino smirked at him. "I'm the best looking kunoichi in the country. I can't have a scrub hanging off my arm."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "I had no idea you were that vain," he deadpanned, brushing his finger against the back of her hand. That tiny contact was like a spark and her ocean blue eyes met his, hunger and longing in them as she pressed forward and kissed him again, kicking the closet shut behind her. The dark was total as her lips pressed against his yet again and he kissed back as she squeezed his arms tightly. He flexed his arms vainly, trying slightly to show off for her and she broke the kiss. He could see the incredulous expression on her face. Left eyebrow raised one point four centimeters, right eye half lidded and a smile coloring just the tip of her lips…

"Really?" Ino remarked, still squeezing his arms as tightly as she could. She didn't sound disappointed in the slightest. Her lips were so close they brushed against his as she spoke. Kami, her lips… and he was kissing them again, pulling her closer…

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

"Come on in there in there, Ino-pig! You can hump him later!" Sakura.

They would have exchanged embarrassed glances if they could see anything in the dark but Ino just opened the door, punching him on the shoulder and out of the closet. "Stay out there, stud," she said through the door as she started to change.

He privately wished that the she hadn't closed the door as he waited for her to finish. Five mintues later, she stepped out looking like she'd spent half an hour preening. He stared in wonder.

"How did you—"

"Ask me no questions I'll tell you no lies," she breahted, tucking her suddenly straight hair behind her ear. She skipped past him, grabbing his hand as she pulled the shoji open. Naruto and Sakura fell in a heap at her feet.

"Ow, Sakura-chan, get off my leg! You're heavy!"

"WHAT?"

"Oh no," Ino muttered, slipping past the two as the pinkette pounded Naruto mercilessly. "Lets get out of here, Shika."

They ignored the fact that the two had been spying on them, neither really caring much. He followed her to the front door, the only sound behind them a muted yell. "Are you trying to call me _fat_?"

When the pair finally caught up to Ino and Shikamaru heading back towards town, Naruto had several noticeable bruises that hadn't been there a few minutes ago.

"I hope you learned your lesson, Naruto-kun," Ino sing-songed, ignoring Sakura's knowing smirk.

Once she turned back around, he made a face, and the pinkette huffed in annoyance. "Come here, you big crybaby," she told him, extending a glowing hand.

They made their way toward the library, waving to people they recognized as the foursome trudged through town. They were nearly there when Naruto suddenly broke off. "Kenta!" he yelled, rushing over to the Ichiraku Ramen stand. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and turned to follow.

"Come on, Naruto! We don't have all day!"

His mind went to the thought of more 'interrogation' at the hands of Ibiki, and he shuddered. He _definitely_ didn't have all day. The twitch of annoyance returned and he clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palm. _Dammit, why is everything getting to me so much lately?_

"Naruto! Come on!" He stepped under the curtain and halted when he came across the man Naruto had been talking to. He was young, not much older than they were themselves, with rugged features, dark hair, and a scar running from his chin to the bottom of his right eye.

"Hey, Shikamaru. This is Kenta!" Naruto said quickly.

The shadow nin thought he saw a flash of recognition cross the stranger's face, but it was gone before Shikamaru could be sure.

Shikamaru shook the man's proffered hand, feeling like he was missing something important. The girls caught up to them, and Shikamaru was certain he caught the look that passed between them at the sight of this guy.

"Hi," Sakura said, blushing. Naruto's eyes took in her expression and her body language, and sadness hit him like a ton of bricks. Shikamaru honestly felt sorry for him. He was always dealing with that when it came to Sakura's affection. But then again, until a week ago hadn't that been _him_ every time Ino strode around with some piece of arm candy trailing her like a slobbering dog?

But the guy had zeroed in on Ino. His gaze hadn't left her since the girls had stepped up to the ramen bar.

"Ino," Shikamaru said, paying careful attention to how long it took her eyes to meet his. One point four seconds. He filed the information away. "Come on, let's go. We can't wait around here."

Sakura had other plans, however. "Hey, Shikamaru, you said this would take a while. Why don't we let him help us? Naruto seems to know him."

"Yeah!" Ino volunteered a little too quickly. "Good idea, Sakura! He can help us finish faster."

Shikamaru wasn't sold. Jealousy coursed through him, and he scowled at the new arrival. "Really? We're going to invite a total stranger along to duplicate Minato Namikaze's research?"

Sakura just gaped, having no counter argument.

Naruto nodded emphatically. "Yeah. Sorry, Kenta. I was just saying hi. I can make clones to help us search faster, anyway."

The man nodded understandingly, his gaze still lingering uncomfortably close to Ino. "It's alright, Naruto. I'll just see you later."

Shikamaru took a subconscious step toward Ino and very consciously wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her to his side. Ino smirked up at him as they walked away. Neither noticed that Kenta's eyes were fixed firmly on Shikamaru now.

* * *

…

Ino strode down the street, her heart singing with contentment. Letting the world see her on a man's arm with a broad smile on her face seemed like something worlds away from anything she'd ever done. Her previous relationships had been more akin to trying on shoes than actually dating. No one even compared to the man who walked next to her now. As lazy and latently-talented as he was, even Neji couldn't measure up. He was too much of an icicle for even Ino's boisterous personality to melt.

Now villagers saw the two well-known chuunin and waved. Smiles and greetings met them on every block. A few pointed congratulations were leveled at Shikamaru from the younger men, but he brushed them off stoically as they strode up the library's steps.

"What's wrong, Shikamaru?" Ino asked teasingly. "You jealous of that Kenta guy?"

His only response was to roll his eyes and hold the door open for the two kunoichi before striding up to the librarian.

She looked at him and she saw him twitch in discomfort. It was so slight that even Sakura and Naruto missed it, absorbed as they were in their own whispered argument. Ino made a note to ask him what that was about later.

"How can I help you?" the librarian was saying.

"Can I view the historical records?" Shikamaru asked straight to the point.

She frowned. "Usually the historical records are kept under lock and key. Only an order from the appropriate chairpersons can—"

"It's a mission," Shikamaru said quicly. "S-rank. I technically shouldn't even be telling you this, but I feel its necessary."

The woman's eyes widened and she looked each way, making sure no one was within earshot. "You could get in trouble just mentioning it!" she said, her voice conspiratorial.

"I know," Shikamaru said, now whispering himself. Ino smirked inwardly, but kept her face blank for the sake of the charade. She knew that they could probably just demand the records and there'd be nothing the librarian could do to stop them, but the civilians in a ninja village often felt included when ninja informed them of top secret 'missions' that only a pasty chef, an artisan or even a librarian could help with.

And it was fun to toy with them.

"It's to recover the lost legacy of Namikaze Minato," Shikamaru said imperiously. "That's why we have his son here." He grabbed Naruto roughly from Sakura's grasp and shoved him in front of the librarian. The blond jinchuuriki smiled innocently, and the woman looked around conspicuously again.

"Okay," she said, producing a key and handing it to the blonde ninja. "It's the second door on the left and down the stairs. But don't tell anybody!"

Shikamaru nodded. "Our lips are sealed. Your village thanks you."

She grinned broadly, looking distinctly pleased with herself as the four made their way into the library's underbelly. Finding the door and unlocking it, they emerged into an incredibly dusty room. Cobwebs and filth covered nearly every exposed surface.

Shikamaru did some quick math and calculated Minato's age before he began digging through the books, brushing the filth off the dates until he came within a reasonable timeframe. He cracked it open and dust billowed into the air, flying up his nose before he could react.

"AAH-CHOO!"

The first page of the book tore out from the force of the sneeze alone. It drifted to the floor, ripped up the middle.

"Wow," Ino said, covering her own nose as she pulled another book from the shelf. "This is some pretty old crap."

"It's not crap," Shikamaru scolded. "It's decades worth of diligent work by a hundred librarians, and it's going to give Naruto his own clan jutsu."

Ino smiled at him. Sometimes Shikamaru's pride made him so stubbornly optimistic. Those were her favorite moments around him; when he gave the odds a discourteous finger and pushed his big brain at a problem instead.

"You tell 'em, Shika," she whispered, half joking as she peered through the thousands of entries.

"Ino?" he said without looking up.

"Hm?" she asked, peering over the rim of her book. He just looked at her calculatingly before returning to his book.

"Hey, what was that?" she demanded. It wasn't often that he asked for her attention specifically and she felt robbed now that he'd use that against her for his own personal agenda.

"Point six seconds," he replied. "It took you one point four to respond when that guy was making googly eyes at you."

She stared, dumbfounded. He could _time_ stuff like that? But her snarky reply was cut off by a loud exclamation from behind her.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Dozens of clones popped into existence with a puff of dust and smoke that left the air borderline toxic for nearly a minute.

"Hey! Watch where you're cloning!" Sakura yelled from underneath a pile of Narutos.

"Sorry Sakura-chan," they all muttered, helping her to her feet. Shikamaru just pointed at the shelf he was working at when the clones looked to him for direction. They each grabbed a book and split into teams of two to work faster.

* * *

…

And it was tedious work. Thousands of books had been checked out each week, and the signatures seemed to grow increasingly illegible the farther back they checked. Every once in a while a clone would rip out a page and throw it into a small pile, each having Namikaze Minato's name next to a book title. By the time dusk fell and the librarian came downstairs (chagrined at the condition of the records), there was a substantial pile and Ino's nose and eyes had had quite enough of the dingy room. They all trudged upstairs, and Naruto directed his clones to the shelves to pick out the books on the list they had compiled.

The odd stares they received trudging their way back to the Nara residence with ten Naruto's holding nearly a hundred books were nothing compared to the amused look that alighted Shikaku's face as his son forewent the dinner table in search of the solitude in his room.

Ino followed him dutifully and without complaint, though her stomach growled loudly. He sighed and stopped long enough for her to grab a plate with apologies to Yoshino and Shikaku that the adults waved off, the former with a huge grin and a murmer that sounded oddly like "Have to feed the baby..."

They finally arrived in Shikamaru's room as the sun fell behind he trees, and the four of them sat anywhere they could find space: Sakura at the desk, Shikamaru on his mattress with his legs folded beneath him, two Naruto's in the corner, poring over a single volume, and Ino laying with her head resting on Shikamaru's leg.

They scanned the hundred or so books, first organizing them into a pile of likely and unlikely ones. A surprisingly large number were dealing with basic justu only, like Academy graduation requirements and the like. Shikamaru could not figure for the life of him why the Yellow Flash would have needed those. They went in the 'maybe' pile.

After Ino fell asleep and Sakura began snoring loudly, and annoyed Shikamaru turned to the Narutos and told him to get the pinkette home. After they left, he picked up a likely volume titled _Time-Dependent Takakazu Waves and their Quantum Mechanical Properties_. A daunting title, to say the least, but from the moment he opened the book, he knew he'd found the gold mine. In the same messy scrawl as Namikaze's signature, notes were scribbled into the cover of the book, consisting of formulas, equations, and words, some half-legible, some completely faded. He cracked it open to the first page, and gasped as light began to shine on the Yellow Flash's secret.

* * *

…

Kenta stayed in the tree that he was perched in until his legs fell asleep from lack of blood flow. He hadn't moved an inch since the blonde girl had arrived back to the clan grounds at the outskirts of town. He had followed them to and from the library, unwilling to let his quarry get away now that he'd come across her. He only needed to get in close to recognize her now-familiar chakra signature. There was no mistaking it. Konoha had been behind Goro's murder. This_…girl_ had killed a man that dozens of well experienced ninja could not. It was surprising to say the least. And damn if she wasn't pretty.

He could report back what he now knew and that would be enough to signal his country to attack, but something inside him couldn't take global war so lightly. He needed to know why they had done it other than his obvious Akatsuki connections. In Kenta's opinion, that was enough to warrant his death alone. He harbored no love for the renegade Shinobi group. But Shimogakure's tightly controlled borders ensured that he wasn't just some target of opportunity. There had to be a driving motivation somewhere, a purpose behind the purpose. It was how ninja operated.

So he watched the pink haired girl and the jinchuuriki leave and waited for the Ino girl. If he could snatch her all the way out here, he had the slightest chance to escape the city walls before they knew of her disappearance.

_And do what with her?_ he wondered. He would be tracked down before he could even call for help.

But it was a moot point. The girl didn't leave the house even though it clearly belonged to the relatives of the Shikamaru guy. Moreover, his bedroom light never went out, and Kenta could see someone moving frantically for hours after Naruto had already left. He scowled and moved, leaping away toward the town as houses around him began lighting up from inside, their occupants preparing for the coming day.

At least he'd found the husband to be.

* * *

…

Ino squinted at the first rays of sunlight as she woke. She smelled the acrid stench of burnt wax and peered at the candle that had lit their study session all last night. It was burned to the wick, completely used up.

_What the …_

Ino's eyes finally focused, and she gasped in surprise. Every surface of the room was covered with paper, on which was written formulas and equations that covered every inch of surface available. When the paper had seemingly run out, it was written on the walls in black marker. One equation was circled three times with exclamation points, not much longer or more complex than the one inscribed on the kunai. Six books lay open on the floor, each of them having extensive notes written in, apparently by Namikaze himself. Separately, they couldn't have held much information on his jutsu, but all the notes together, combined with the information in the books, clearly gave the answer to the equation on the kunai. Ino stood in awe, turning to see the condensed equation on the wall. Her eyes adjusted to the chaotic mass of lines and symbols, and she understood the circled portion for what it was.

The question and the answer, side by side. The room, of course, was ruined by the process with which Shikamaru came to that conclusion, but it was awe inspiring that the work Namikaze took years to complete had been recreated in just one night. She glanced at Shikamaru, who was sleeping peacefully on the ground beneath the final equation, a black marker just inches from his outstretched fingers.

She knelt beside him and placed a lingering kiss on his cheek before pulling a woolen blanket over him. She didn't understand half of what was written on the walls, but she knew there was at least one person who could.

She squinted her eyes shut as she focused on the telepathic link the Yamanaka shared.

_Daddy!_

Her father's response was muddled and groggy. He had been sleeping. _What is it, sweetie?_ A tiny twill of happiness passed through her at being the only person who could successfully rouse her father from any slumber, but it was nowhere near the excitement she used to feel at being her daddy's little princess.

She glanced at the spiky haired un-ninja at her feet and smiled, wishing idly that one day he'd call her his princess instead. She knew he would one day and she leaned down to put her head on his chest, reveling in the warmth his touch provided. The world was in a terrible state but whatever the it could throw at her, she could face it if she had him by her side. But first…

_I need you to send me Kakashi-sensei._

* * *

_A/N: Thanks for reading! Sorry again for the wait!_

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	17. The End of an Era

_A/N: I was so happy when this chapter came back from beta i said, "Yay!" and did a happy dance. A patented happy dance. Hope you enjoy it as much as i did!_

* * *

**Chapter 17**

**The End of an Era**

Kiba carried Hinata's limp form in his arms, tears streaking down his tattooed cheeks. The flow of blood leaking from her stomach had been staunched with gauze, but she had still lost a ton and her already pale features were almost ghost-like. And she hadn't opened her eyes since …

Kiba thought back to that moment. The ninja suddenly charging him as he'd been cheering Hinata on, catching him and Akamaru both flat-footed. Hinata appearing before him, spinning once and locking her beautiful pale eyes on him as the rain fought unsuccessfully to mat her flowing purple hair to her sides. The puff of blood that shot into the air as her spin suddenly halted, throwing her locks into a pained halo right in front of his face.

The girl he loved had been impaled protecting him. Impaled! Not just stabbed, or cut, or hurt, but impaled! Impaling was, like, the opposite of being alive and well!

_Before impaling: Oh, how are you today, sir?_

_Alive and well, thanks for asking!_

_After impaling: Oh, how are you today, sir?_

_GAAGKH! (dies)_

"Kiba!" Shino called out, interrupting the skit playing out in his head. He hefted the weight in his arms … the very … _limp_ weight (he _refused_ to refer to Hinata as _dead _weight) that he wouldn't let anyone else carry, before responding.

"Yeah, Shino?"

"You are getting tired," the bug user replied in his matter-of-fact tone. "You will begin slowing soon."

Kiba's gut protested this fact with everything he had, arguing that ninja never got tired. He knew Shino would want to carry Hinata. Kiba wouldn't allow that, not in a million years. In response, he stopped just long enough to pull a pair of soldier pills from his pocket and toss them into his mouth, chewing and gulping them down before Shino could object. They tasted horrible, and Kiba's enhanced taste buds forced him to reconsider ever doing that again. Akamaru whined pitifully, wanting to laugh but too concerned about Hinata to show it.

Kiba growled at Shino menacingly. To Kiba's great relief, however, he just turned away quietly. The Inuzuka charged on ahead, defying Shino's protest to slow his pace with every speedy step. They were still another day away from Konoha, but they could cut the time in half if they ran through the night. Kiba didn't care if Shino and Tsubaki made it with him. _He _wasn't stopping for anything. He had to get her to Tsunade. She'd make it … she just had to…

* * *

…

Shikamaru woke up to the sound of chatter in his small room. A_ lot_ of chatter. Geez, didn't everyone know that he prized sleep over almost everything else? And didn't they know his head hurt? He'd just learned and applied almost four years worth of quantum physics in a night. He thought he'd earned a little rest.

He opened his eyes. It was still dark out. It wasn't even morning yet?

Then it hit him. He hadn't fallen asleep_ until_ morning. It was now nighttime. His meeting with Tsunade was in just a few hours time. He jerked awake, sitting straight up, and his face ran headlong into someone's leg. A leg that smelled distinctly of booze. He blinked, leaned away, and looked up.

_Speak of the devil_…

Tsunade looked down at him briefly before her stern eyes returned to sweeping the room.

"I take it this is what you were doing yesterday instead of trying to restore your memory." She didn't sound the least bit pleased.

"Tsunade-shishou—" Ino's voice came from the corner of his room.

A rush of relief washed over him as he realized that she was there just before he realized he hadn't felt even the slightest hint of panic when she wasn't immediately present. He was improving? Or was her presence just assumed? He'd have to test that later.

"Quiet, Ino," Tsunade said, staring him down. "I want to hear what he has to say."

His mouth was impossibly dry, and his mind even more so. He'd just been thinking about Ino: he couldn't be expected to concentrate on anything else, could he? Thinking about her was like filling his cranial cavity with cake batter and turning up the heat; within minutes, nothing else existed in there. Then a single thought floated through the doughy expanse that was his consciousness. He voiced it, since it was the only one he had to give.

"I've still got four hours … "

He grimaced as soon as he said it, knowing the Hokage's displeasure at the words without looking. _This is your brain,_ he thought, looking around the room. His gaze settled on Tsunade's displeased reaction_. And this is your brain on Ino._

Tsunade's frown deepened. She looked around the room again. "How long did it take you to do all of this?"

"After we had the books? About eight hours."

She looked as if she was getting her teeth pulled, but her expression finally softened.

"Fine," she conceded. "But I want to see you trying. The fate of your village is at stake."

He nodded hurriedly, casting off the blanket on his chest and moving to Ino's side, taking in the state of his room as he did so. He'd really trashed it last night. There was even writing on the _ceiling_.

His mom would not be happy. He vowed quietly to keep this from her as long as possible … seconds before she came around the corner.

"Shikamaru, there are guests still waiting for you to—"

She rounded the corner and stopped short, seeing all the people crammed into Shikamaru's room. Her face shifted comically from surprise to rage at the state the room was in. Ino sighed heavily, anticipating the scolding they were going to get later.

Kakashi, on the other hand, looked elated as he took in the sight, with Naruto standing by his side. He looked at Shikamaru with his one visible eye and grinned broadly.

Shikamaru smiled weakly in return. He didn't feel as incredible as everyone was making him seem he was, and Naruto still looked as confused as ever. Shikamaru felt sorry for the poor guy. He couldn't hope to learn the physics behind the technique they were about to teach him in a thousand years, but they were going to force feed it to him, anyway.

On the other hand, if his calculations were correct and Minato had attained the most efficient form of the equation, Shikamaru and Kakashi, two of the only shinobi in Konoha who _could_ understand the physics, didn't have anywhere near the chakra reserves required to make it a useful technique. Actually, most ninja couldn't hope to pull it off just once, let alone forty or fifty times in the heat of battle. It was _that _intense. The only person Shikamaru knew with the smarts, chakra, and reflexes to pull the Hiraishin off was currently isolated in a maximum-security cell deep under the Hokage Monument.

"So Shikamaru, we've decided that in the interest of Naruto learning this technique, it would be best if your mental state were left in Ino's care. She seems to be a miracle worker thus far."

The speaker was Kakashi. From Tsunade's thin lips and stern expression, he could guess that she wasn't too happy with the discussion they'd been having while he was asleep.

"But," Tsunade added, "I fully expect your cooperation and most diligent effort in recovering your memories, Shikamaru. Ibiki and Inoichi are already waiting to probe your mind should anything come of it, anesthetic addiction or no."

The shadow nin nodded gravely, and Naruto finally spoke up. "Can we please start my training now, Kakashi-sensei? I don't know what any of you guys are talking about!"

The jonin just shook his head. "Shikamaru has other things to focus on right now. He can't spare time to explain all of this, and I can't follow it all. We have to leave the two of them be."

Naruto sighed and crossed his fingers. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," he intoned drearily, popping nine clones into existence. The Narutos formed a line, picked up the massive pile of books, and carted them away to be returned to the library from whence they came. When everyone was finally gone, Shikamaru exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and Ino wrapped her fingers around his own delicately.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, looking concerned but distinctly proud of him.

He smiled gratefully at her, something that had come easier and easier for him in the last few days.

"Not good," he admitted, letting his smile fade. "Aside from you, not much seems to be going right. I figured out the Hiraishin, but instead of waking up to happy people, I wake up to Tsunade chewing my guts out. 'S'why I don't like getting noticed."

Irritation crept through him, and he searched vainly for a word to express it before resorting to mere body language. Ino looked amusedly at him, and he turned away from her, not in the mood to be laughed at.

"I see things differently," she said, in a gentle, reassuring tone of voice he'd never heard her use before. He turned back to her, intrigued.

"I see a genius well on the road to recovery. It's barely been six days since we escaped Shimo, and you've already fought against your illness and solved a two-decade-old mystery in a day. I think things are going great, 'cause two days ago Tsunade-shishou was on a warpath, saying that she was going to pull that information out of your head come hell or high water, and last night you proved that the information that _wants_ to come out of your head doesn't need Ibiki to help it along."

He studied her face, even though he'd done it a thousand times. It seemed that he noticed something new each time he looked. The set of her eyebrows and the slight turn of her full lips, the way her nose curved ever so softly, and her cheeks, filled with color at his gaze. It was a world apart from the details that had captured his attention thus far, and he realized that the image he held in his photographic memory no longer seemed to capture the wonder he felt when she was right in front of him.

His hand tightened its grip on her fingers. _I wonder_, he thought_, if this is what Dad meant when he said a woman will show her gentle side to a man she loves?_

It certainly seemed like it. Ino had snapped at Sakura, Naruto, Choji, Tsunade, and his own mother and father in the last three days, but not once had she said a bad word towards him. It was a welcomed transition from their Team 10 days, where it seemed like every other word was literally an assault on his character. He didn't miss it.

A knock signaled that a visitor was at the door. Shikamaru automatically moved to get it. Ino followed with a dutiful sigh, having enjoyed their quiet moment together. It was late, though, and the last thing she needed was Shikamaru freaking out in front of company. Thus far, only a few select people outside of the Nara clan knew of Shikamaru's condition, and both of them would rather keep it that way.

Shikaku had beaten Shikamaru to the foyer and the knock repeated itself as he answered, sounding more urgent this time. Ensui stood at the door, looking harried.

"Shikaku! The prisoner is trying to break out! We had to restrain her, but it's … difficult."

Shikaku turned to look at Shikamaru, his face quite pale. A flicker of indecision passed over him before he turned to leave.

"Wait," Shikamaru called after his father. "What prisoner?"

Ino glanced at him, her gaze questioning, but he ignored her. "What prisoner?" he repeated.

"The sound girl," Shikaku replied, sighing heavily. "I suppose now you'll want to come. Let's go."

Shikamaru chased after his father and Ensui, Ino easily keeping pace with him as they rushed to the stables. Shikaku stopped at the door and glanced at Ino. Usually even close family friends like the Yamanaka weren't allowed inside this building, but there were always exceptions.

Shikamaru grabbed her hand to remind him of that, and Shikaku rolled his eyes. "Come on, you two."

They charged in, rushing down to the underground chamber. Ino gasped in surprise at the rather opulent underground hall. Shikamaru just pulled her along, not allowing her time to wonder what a nice flower arrangement would do for the décor.

Ensui's father waited at the door to the conference room with half a dozen battle armored clansmen standing idle around the hallway. "Shikaku! I'm glad you could make it. The subject is—"

Shikamaru rounded the corner behind his father with Ino in tow.

"Is that a Yamanaka!"

"In due time, Yuichi," Shikaku replied coolly.

The man looked unsettled at Ino's curious gaze and roaming eyes, but continued. "A half dozen of us have shadow mimic on her, but she's still resisting. She turned into some kind of demon, with horns and everything—"

"Tayuya's cursed seal," Shikamaru said evenly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "She has a transformation that puts her roughly on par with a Jonin."

Yuichi paled at this. He'd never advanced past Chuunin in all his years, although his son was on pace to surpass him.

"Let me talk to her," Shikamaru replied. "I take it nobody is proficient with fuinjutsu?"

"No."

"Nuh-uhn."

"Sorry."

Shikamaru tsked in annoyance as Ino looked on helplessly.

He sighed heavily, feeling the annoyance from before settling into his gut again. It was a common feeling that he dealt with it on a near constant basis.

Pushing open the door, Shikamaru was met with a curious sight. Tayuya sat on her knees with her back to him, straddling one of his more distant cousins (he couldn't tell who from this angle) across the waist with no fewer than six shadows stretched across the room, trapping her in his clan's signature jutsu.

Her hair was long and hot pink, and white horns stuck jaggedly from her head. Her skin was dark under the Nara-themed clothing she was wearing, and Shikamaru wondered just how long she'd been down there.

He stepped to the side, glancing around at the looks of relief on his clansmen's faces, and saw that it was Ensui's younger brother who had been mounted by the demon girl. Pink hair fell in thick tresses around her face, obscuring most of it from view as she panted heavily, trying to force her way out of the kagemane holding her. One arm was bracing her against the floor and the other held a kunai to the boy's neck, shaking with the effort she was exerting to break free.

Her black eyes turned slowly toward him as she fought the jutsu. Their gold irises widened in shock upon recognition. The cursed seal pulsed brightly beneath her hair, and the horns disintegrated into nothing while her skin and hair resumed their normal colors.

She fell in an exhausted heap atop Yukio as the group's kagemane's reached their collective limit. The boy wrenched his kunai from her grasp and clambered out from beneath her as she looked up at the genius kneeling beside her.

"Shikamaru-sama?" she breathed, her hand rubbing the throbbing cursed seal.

His eyebrow quirked in surprise. Had she really just called him that? He remembered working with Tayuya in Shimogakure, but this … this wasn't in his memory banks. It was weird being called that by someone who'd tried most earnestly to kill you as a child, but in her case, it was different and … if he was honest with himself … rather sexy.

Then the memories came flooding back: her patrols, her trying to find someone dangerous, her overt dislike of anything that had to do with Ino. With just those two words, he suddenly _remembered._

What he said was, "Hello, Tayuya."

She fixed her eyes on him and let them look him over slowly, panting heavily as she stared past her wild red hair. His eyes met hers, and she parted her lips just slightly. Something deeper than passion was burning behind her deep brown gaze.

"I need you … " she gasped, and a surge of something hot and _very _inappropriate shot to Shikamaru's lower regions. However, he clamped down on it instantly.

Every breath she took was labored and she began wheezing heavily. "The seal … he's in my _head_!"

After only a second of silence, she seemed to get agitated again.

"He's in my head!" she repeated and tore at her hair. A handful of red parted company with her scalp. Shikamaru nodded soberly, taking in the situation as he frantically searched his memory.

Though he was panicky on the inside, outwardly he was the picture of calm and unaffected stoicism. He stood with his weight on one leg, hands shoved back into his pockets and his face a careful mask of indifference. Then a memory flickered through his consciousness; a jutsu he'd learned from Anko to repress Orochimaru's cursed seals temporarily. Understanding dawned on him.

"I can't," he said, holding out his left wrist and pushing chakra toward his fingertips. A seal pulsed with blue energy as it absorbed and diluted his energy, the swirls fading back to merge with his skin after the surge of energy tapered off.

Her auburn eyes narrowed as they focused on him, and he saw the pain and sadness coloring her next words. "I'm sorry, Shikamaru-sama … I … failed you."

And she exploded back into her cursed seal state, the horns returning almost instantly as she jetted for the door. Shikamaru leapt to grab her, but he was too slow, as were the kagemane that erupted around the room from exhausted Nara clansmen.

She burst through the door and ran her shoulder into Ino, leveling the surprised blonde as she barreled out, heading upstairs at top speed. Shikaku chased after her, barking orders, but it was futile. She was outside within seconds, and Shikamaru was left with his outstretched arm grasping only air.

He turned to Ino as Ensui helped her to her feet. "At least I remembered her," he offered.

Ino didn't look the least bit pleased about this. "She likes you, you know," she bit out, sounding more than a little off-put. "I caught her staring."

"Thanks," Shikamaru replied, ignoring his confused kinsmen as they made their way outside. "I'll always appreciate a cursed-sealed, murdering lunatic's nuptial confessions."

Clearly not a fan of his sarcasm, Ino made a face at him as they peered in the direction of Konohagakure. All of the Nara shinobi seemed to be rushing toward the town center.

Shikamaru and Ino exchanged worried glances. "We need to find Tsunade," he said quickly.

Ino nodded, looking noticeably pale. Neither of them noticed the flicker of movement behind them, a shadow trailing them that had none of the vitality the Nara's silhouettes were known for.

* * *

...

Ino glanced over her shoulder, unable to shake the feeling that they were being watched. The hairs on the nape of her neck were standing on end, and she _hated_ that feeling; it was so … _icky_. Like, seriously, that was the one thing she hated about being a shinobi: having to do things that got dirt, blood, mud, and other things she didn't want to _think_ about into her _pores_ and _hair _… Then there were always those long missions in the middle of nowhere. Having to sleep on the ground and wash in a stream or lake … when she could wash at all. Just … eww! It wasn't a clean job, and then there were times like this when she was on edge for no damn reason.

_You can't hide in the Nara clan's shadows_, she reasoned to herself. She'd seen Shikamaru identify someone blindly because their shadow touched his more than once.

Shikamaru shot her a concerned glance. "Ino, you okay?"

She nodded without looking at him, eyes still roaming the tree line behind them. The Nara property was way out in the woods. It was the one thing Ino didn't like about visiting Shikamaru (or living with him—what she'd been doing lately couldn't be considered anything less). Ino was a city girl. She couldn't do without buildings and people and _shopping_.

She shuddered visibly at the thought, and Shikamaru gave her another curious glance. She swatted his shoulder roughly. "What? Quit staring, creep!"

He just quirked an eyebrow and continued walking. Ino found herself thinking about the look that had passed over Shikamaru's face when he watched Tayuya regain her senses. The girl was wild. Feral even, but he'd looked at her with … was it desire? What was this crazy woman that Yamanaka Ino couldn't be? Hadn't he shown how much he desired her just yesterday? Remembering her promise yet again not to hide herself, Ino forced herself to open up to him.

"Shika?" she said meekly, cursing herself for letting her voice falter.

His curious gaze returned, and something inside her pointed out that curiosity was_ not_ desire. Fighting the urge to clam up, Ino resorted to an old standby: getting loud.

"What the_ hell_ was that look you gave Tayuya back there?"

Shikamaru visibly cringed, taken aback by this sudden change in her attitude. He sighed heavily. Ino waited earnestly to hear him utter his trademark word, but she waited in vain.

"Just curiosity," he replied.

_**WRONG!**_ Her inner self bellowed, calling him out on his lie_**. Curiosity**_ _**was how he just looked at ME!**_

"Don't lie to me, Shika," Ino warned.

He smacked his forehead with his palm and groaned loudly. _Odd._ She'd never seen him do that before. As they passed the threshold of the Nara clan grounds and entered Konoha proper, Shikamaru fidgeted in that distinct manner that told her he was trying to weasel his way out of something.

"It's not a lie. It's just not the whole truth … " He looked like he was about to have an aneurysm as he was sorting through his thoughts.

_Say it … mendokuse. Just say it!_

His frown deepened, and he muttered something under his breath.

"What was that?" Ino said eagerly, jumping forward.

"Eh? I said _kuso_…"

"Just say it!" she yelled angrily, whacking him again on the shoulder.

"Say what?" he yelled back.

Ino was about to tell him, but huffed instead. _If_ _he can hold back what he thought about that crazy bitch, then I_ _won't remind him of what his favorite word was. Fair is fair._

"Hmph!" she said instead, folding her arms and looking away. "I'm not telling."

"Kuso," he repeated, sounding even more annoyed than before.

"Vulgarity isn't a substitute for a poor vocabulary, Shika," Ino said condescendingly, still irrationally upset. She mumbled the next part. "And if you like another girl, you can just tell me … it's not like I'm your ... girlfriend."

She was fishing for straws and she knew it, but far be it from Yamanaka Ino not to use every weapon at her disposal. "You don't walk away from a fight with more kunai in your holster," as Inoichi always told her. Even if that contradicted his _other_ saying of "Never use your last kunai," Ino figured his advice was situational.

But if she was fishing, she caught a shark.

"You're right," Shikamaru replied nonchalantly, as if he didn't realize what he was saying. "You're not my girlfriend, are yo—"

BOOM!

The building beside them exploded into splinters, and the lazy nin disappeared in a hail of flying wood and exploding watermelon.

"Shikamaru!" Ino yelled even as she scanned the area for the threat. There! A massive ogre had appeared and was beating the snot out of everything it could see with a very large studded club.

"What the hell is that?" Ino asked no one in particular. The few civilians that were up and about at this late hour ran for dear life, none of them knowing exactly how to react to a huge monster smashing the local fruit stand.

_Not like it's the first time that's happened,_ Ino thought rationally. _They should really get a clue. Civvies._

And she dove into the pile of ruined building yanking up smashed boards and exploded barrels until she found Shikamaru laying in a bruised heap.

"Are you okay?" she asked, instantly sorry that she'd been so mad at him a moment ago. And over something so _stupid_! But he'd be damned if he wasn't going to regret that last statement.

"Eh," he replied, spitting blood. "I've been better."

She blinked.

"Okay, I've been lots better. You happy? I just had a building fall on my head. How okay do you think I am?"

"Oh, shut up, Smarty-pants," she countered as she lifted him gingerly from the wreckage.

"What hit me, anyway?"

"Some huge ogre thing with a massive club and a bad attitude," she answered truthfully. Sometimes it really was stranger than fiction.

His reaction, though, told her that he knew exactly what that ogre thing was.

"Shika? You're scaring me now. Don't make that face."

"Ino, I'm going to advise you to get me to Tsunade as quickly as possible. I've gotta get that seal off Tayuya before she gets herself killed." He paused, as if knowing he should say something else, but he didn't.

"What do you mean?" Ino asked, setting her hands on her hips. "What does_ she_ have to do with this?"

"'_She'_?" he asked incredulously. "Why'd you say it like that?"

"Don't act like she's not the 'other woman'," Ino barked, now glaring at him as if daring him to protest.

"Where the hell did she get a flute anyway?" Shikamaru wondered aloud.

"I asked you a question!"

Shikamaru ignored her, jogging toward the Hokage tower. "Whatever. Let's go, Ino." And he leapt up onto a nearby roof, dashing across the tiles. For a brief second, Ino didn't follow.

"You didn't deny it!" she complained, finally giving chase.

* * *

...

Kenta Kobayashi couldn't believe his good fortune. They were going to see the Hokage herself. The Hokage was a medic nin, and a renowned one at that. A plan began forming in his mind, and he glanced across the rooftops at the redheaded girl that was tangling with a half dozen ninja. Her monsters leapt through the air and smashed whatever they came in contact with. She would be the catalyst.

If he pulled this off, he would be a hero back home. An idol. He'd have statues raised in his likeness!

Well, maybe he was getting ahead of himself. First, he had to go get beaten up. He leapt away, abandoning his pursuit of Yamanaka Ino. He had bigger fish to fry.

* * *

...

Tsunade was staring out of her window at the three ogres dancing around the town, smashing buildings to and fro. She didn't want to imagine the paperwork that was going to follow _this._ And she thought Kakashi's Raikiri was destructive …

Yugao was tense beside her, one hand hidden in her purple mane, the other tightly gripping the hilt of her sword.

Tsunade put a hand on the smaller woman's shoulder.

"Relax. ANBU will deal with the girl. Just stick by me. Maybe I'll have Shikaku do the paperwork this time. Clan prisoner my ass."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama. It's just…"

Tsunade quirked her eyebrow. "Just what?"

"I have a bad feeling about tonight. I felt the same way the day Hayate … "

Tsunade frowned heavily. She had the same feeling, but as Hokage she couldn't allow herself that luxury. Ominous feelings could not run a country.

"Don't worry," Tsunade said, squeezing her shoulder firmly. "If anything goes wrong I'll have Katsuyu—"

"Down!" Yugao yelled, drawing her saber. Her mocha eyes flashed dangerously as she reversed Tsunade's grip and twisted her to the floor, stepping over her roughly.

Two blurs shot through the window, and Ino and Shikamaru respectively found their necks extremely close to the business end of a sword and a kunai.

"Hi, purple ANBU lady," Ino squeaked, looking fearfully at the sword held inches from her aorta. The woman sheathed her weapons smoothly, muttering her apology.

"Jumpy much?" Tsunade snapped as she picked herself up from the ground. She hadn't even _known_ Yugao could move that fast, let alone take _her_ down. She'd have to update the files.

Yugao muttered another apology and a word that sounded much like "distressed".

"What's wrong, Shikamaru?" Tsunade asked, before realizing belatedly that the young man was part of the clan who was chasing the ogres. "Ignore that question," she said quickly, putting her hand to her forehead. "Distressed" indeed.

"I need you to remove the seal on my wrist. I was able to suppress her cursed seal before, and I can do it again."

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill her myself," Tsunade countered, noticing his eyes watching her curiously. Damn those Nara. She felt like he was looking right through her.

"If I'm guessing right, and I think I am," Shikamaru said too quickly, "you're stretched too thin already."

She narrowed her eyes, wanting nothing more than to beat the insolent little snot senseless. She was well over fifty years old, but that didn't make her an invalid! Sarutobi had been seventy and running about fighting battles like it was an easy Sunday morning.

"Fine." She irritably waved him over and made a few hand seals. His eyes watched only her hands, and she faltered, feeling her chakra form incorrectly. "Dammit," she snapped. "Stop trying to reverse-engineer my seal. You're not Kakashi."

She repeated the signs and pressed her fingers to his wrist. He felt a slight burning as the seal was lifted.

He nodded as he backed away. "You should rest after this is over," he said sagely. "You haven't even asked if I'll attack people, yet you removed the seal. The answer's no, by the way. I have at least that much control now."

And he was gone out into the night with Ino behind him, offering only an apologetic glance as she followed at top speed.

"Yugao," Tsunade said tiredly. "Follow them. Make sure he really doesn't attack anyone. That would be a fitting end for the night. 'Nara Heir Murders Civilians in Shadows'."

Yugao only nodded, apparently not sharing her morbid sense of humor. "Tsunade," the woman said quietly, forgoing the honorific intentionally. "Be careful."

And she was gone and Tsunade was alone. She flopped back into her seat, pulling out a picture of Jiraiya attempting to take a picture of her at a bathing house from her desk. It was the last photo she had of him. _What would you have done, old friend? _

She felt like he was talking to herself. Disgusted, she threw the thing away. "_Kami_, can this get worse?"

The door burst open and Shizune rushed in, looking haggard. She actually looked like a building had fallen on her. Dust and debris coated her from head to foot, and her black robes were ripped and torn.

"Tsunade-sama!" she yelled, panic in her eyes. "The hospital has been hit! It's nearly destroyed! Come quickly!"

Alarmed, she looked out of her window, the constant _whumph_ of buildings being leveled having built to a slow crescendo. "They couldn't have … "

But surely enough, the hospital was among the rubble.

"Damn you,_ Kami_!" And she was out the door.

* * *

...

Shikamaru dodged a Doki, letting the club smash into the Ichiraku Ramen Stand instead of crushing him. They were lucky it was the middle of the night when most people would be at home. Otherwise, the casualties would be much greater than they were already. He'd already formed the seals necessary to forcibly suppress her curse, and now was focused only on dodging and holding his chakra in its current state as Ensui backed him up with shadow mimic.

"Left!" Shikamaru yelled, doing a back flip off the roof of a teashop. It was crushed. He winced. That was his dad's favorite shop. Ensui had leapt off it at Shikamaru's command and tried to attract its attention, but the Doki was fixated on Shikamaru and would not leave him be. The wheels in his mind were operating at full speed, the adrenal rush of combat having filtered his consciousness to focus on what he did best: winning.

Even as it attacked him, the ogre was slowly being pulled into Shikamaru's trap, getting closer and closer to the second Doki that Ino was perfectly manipulating toward him.

"That's great Ino. Keep it up!" Shikamaru yelled. He couldn't see where Tayuya was hiding—it was far too dark out—but he knew the third Doki was with her trying to keep a horde of ANBU at bay. He saw an immense Doton wall rise from nowhere, and he begged his body for more speed. He had to get to her before they killed her.

He dodged another strike that thankfully didn't smash another building and got ready for the final (and worst) part of his plan. He threw a flash bomb to his left as hard as he could, then dodged toward Ino as she moved towards him. They landed on the roof of the next building together, then leapt backward as both Doki swung at them, dodging nimbly out of their reach as the crushed the barbeque place.

_Choji is never going to forgive us …_ He thought as the flash bomb went off, right behind Ensui.

"Now!" he yelled. His cousin's shadow mimic was right on time, expanding with the light over a hundred meters and connecting successfully with the two Doki.

"Three minutes!" Ensui called back, grinning like an idiot.

Shikamaru rushed past them, racing to Tayuya at top speed. He knew she could simply dispel the Doki and resummon it, but luckily she was too busy with the ANBU to do so immediately. He darted over the Doton wall, and behind him Ino cried out, "Shintenshin no Jutsu!"

She fell unceremoniously to the ground. Shikamaru winced, wishing she had warned him, but if she had a clear shot, she may not have had time to. He looked around, and he saw what Ino had. Someone had grabbed her Tayuya's leg from underground just as they'd crested the wall, and she blinked, surprised. Shikamaru knew it was Ino in there now, but the ANBU were not so privy. One of them jabbed a saber at her neck. It was a fatal strike, and Shikamaru, knowing he didn't have his tanto or any kunai, knew what he was about to do would hurt.

He yelled for him to stop, but it was too late. He got to Tayuya a split second after Ino's mind reached her and before the short sword did, thrusting the only thing he had toward it to stop the blade: his body.

"Hurk!" he gasped as the sword pierced his forearm. _Damn_ it hurt.

The ANBU looked more than surprised. Shikamaru calmly reached his right hand to the redhead's neck and pushed all of his built-up chakra into it. Ino hurriedly left her body. Tayuya collapsed, the brown coating on her skin receding and her hair turning back to its normal shade.

"Shikamaru-sama," she whispered from the ground. The other ANBU climbed up out of the hole and roughly cuffed her. "You saved me."

The astonished ANBU still hadn't removed his sword from Shikamaru's arm, and a particularly angry voice sounded behind him. "_A-HEM_!"

He turned to see Ino angrier than he'd ever seen her. "Get your sword _out_ of his arm!"

The ANBU gently withdrew it, apologizing profusely. Ino raised her already glowing hands to the wound, looking up to meet Shikamaru's eyes. He was a bit apprehensive, hoping that anger wouldn't be directed at him. To his immense surprise, it was gone when his gaze met hers. "Thanks," she whispered quietly. Then, louder, "But you might have caught my body before it fell off that damn wall!"

Shikamaru smiled. Tayuya and Ino were both safe, and that was all he cared about at the moment. Her attitude was troubling, but it was still something he could and would happily put up with.

That niggling in his stomach came back once more, but in the waning of his adrenaline surge he didn't feel troubled how to express the frustration he'd felt all this time. He _knew _how to let it out.

"Troublesome."

* * *

...

Tsunade dashed from patient to patient, healing them where they lay in the rubble and debris as the orderlies tried to get people out of the still collapsing remains of the hospital. She focused on the most severely wounded, not noticing the black haired man who staggered in with his gut torn open. Shizune dragged Tsunade over to him, pulling her trembling hands from a young boy who'd lost his ankle. His bleeding had stopped, but the wound was closing and they were running out of time to reattach it. She had always scolded Sakura for unsteady hands, but here she was now, shaking like a child fresh out of medical school.

The man saw Tsunade coming and smiled weakly, falling over behind a pile of rubble. Tsunade leapt over the pile and began her mystical palm technique, her fingers casting a pale glow in the dark. But something was strange about this one. She couldn't quite put her finger on it.

However, they were secluded from view behind the rubble and Tsunade couldn't spare him any extra time. She pushed her chakra into his wound, surprised when it closed easily as if it were just superficial. She steadied her hands forcibly, breathing harder than she usually did when she was exerting herself. The world seemed murky now, things were moving more slowly. It was subtle, but she wasn't the Hokage for no reason.

Odd. The wound had looked quite serious a minute ago, mortally so. Then the pieces clicked together, and she knew why everything was slower. A genjutsu.

The boy who lost his ankle cried out loudly behind her. Tsunade jerked her head around to look for the boy and felt, at the last second, the surge of very purposefully molded chakra within her patient's gut.

The last thing she heard as pain erupted in her gut and darkness claimed her was his steady baritone, betraying no emotion whatsoever.

"Raiton no Suribu."

* * *

_A/N: Kind of a short update by comparison i guess. Hope you enjoyed it! until next time, thanks for all the views and reviews! _

_Ps: For those that follow the X-men comics, i've started a new story that follows X-23 and Hellion, check it out! The Ties that Bind! Paperazzi OuT! _

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	18. The Aftermath

**Chapter 18**

**The Aftermath**

Chaos. That's how Ino would describe the aftermath of Tayuya's attack and the Godaime's death. She could hardly believe it had happened. She could hardly comprehend it. Her shishou, the last of the Sannin, had died in a surprise attack by a _very_ talented enemy ninja deep within the village, behind even the cover of her personal ANBU squads. The village had gone on high alert when Shizune had found her body, old and withered because her revitalizing jutsu had died with her.

The only account the genjutsu-addled ANBU could remember was that the assassin had pretended to be wounded by Tayuya's attack, luring Tsunade close before ripping her heart out. Literally. As one of Tsunade's apprentices, she had been privy to the details most people hadn't even wanted to know.

Needless to say, the village wasn't taking the news well.

By morning, Konohagakure no Sato had been declared a military asset by the Jonin council and placed under martial law. Not that Ino had a chance to react to that. She had been in the remains of the medical center, healing injured doctors, civilians, and a few bruised ANBU. By the time her chakra reserves were drained and she could do no more, the sun was peeking up over the forest.

_A sunrise Tsunade-shishou will never see_, Ino thought sadly, hanging her head and leaning back. To her surprise, it was not a hard, unyielding wall that stopped her, but a warm body with strong hands gripping her shoulders to steady her.

Shikamaru didn't say a word as he caught her, sadness creasing his brow. Twisting around to look into his eyes, she relaxed into his embrace and gripped his hands in her own, feeling the rough calluses on his strong hands from years of handling knives and weapons. She pulled his arms around her, wrapping her in a cocoon of warmth and comfort, fighting back the tears that threatened to overwhelm her. She realized how much she needed this now, how much she needed him to be there.

"She was like a second mother to me," she whispered.

Shikamaru nodded, silent, and she appreciated him for the stoic, pensive man that he was. Anyone else might fill her ears with worthless platitudes (even if they understood the razors edge that shinobi walked every day), but Shikamaru knew which words would have meaning and which didn't need to be spoken, and she loved that. It was so easy for beings to pass from this life, however, and her mind wandered to the people even more important to her than Tsunade. Her father and mother. Sakura. Choji.

Her gut clenched in fear as her brain completed the train of thought, and she fought down the bile that rose in her throat. She turned around, squeezing the fabric of his shirt in her small fists. Hot tears welled in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall, poking her chin out to meet his gaze instead.

"Shikamaru," she whispered without looking away. "Don't ever die."

He held his gaze steady, the portrait of self-control. Shikamaru didn't bat an eye at what they both knew to be an impossible request, but Ino read the open book that was Shikamaru's emotions to her. For those who could interpret the subtle clue, who were attuned to him and experienced in his every nuance, he wore his emotions on his sleeve. His apprehension was written in the slight gulp that bobbed his Adam's apple a hair's breadth; his fear in the hardness that set behind his eyes; his displeasure in the way his mouth curved ever so slightly downward.

She pushed her head under his chin, silently glad that he was tall enough that she could do so comfortably because it made her feel so loved, small, and protected all at the same time. Neither said a word as Ino's eyes fluttered shut, exhaustion catching up to her at long last.

"I promise," Shikamaru whispered. Ino smiled as she fell to sleep.

...

The Nara held Ino tight against his chest. He felt her weight sag, and he pulled her up into his arms, cradling her like a baby.

"Rest. You've earned it," he murmured, glancing around the ward at the scores of people now nursing fewer and less grievous injuries than before. He leapt from the window without another word, heading for Ino's apartment since it was much closer.

He knew she preferred the comfort of her bed over his more traditional household, but she'd put up with him and his weakness long enough. He wouldn't be overcome by one bad experience, one week of torture, however bad it was. He refused to be cowed, because more than ever he had people he needed to protect.

_Isn't that the reason I didn't go after the Twelve Ninja Guardians? _He wondered as he cracked her window open with one hand and broke into her apartment. He dodged a kunai that was flung from the shadows of the closet. A trap. To be expected from Ino at least. He wouldn't be surprised if there were another one set to protect her closet.

He set Ino in her bed as the knife sailed out of the window and into the night, pulling the covers over her. He couldn't resist running a hand across her baby-smooth cheek, but turned away, feeling like a creeper. What was he supposed to do? Admire her while she slept? Hadn't he done enough of that? After sharing a bed with a girl, were you supposed to be done with watching them sleep like that? After kissing the girl of your dreams, shouldn't you be used to the way her skin feels?

He shook his head violently, wondering where that last thought came from. Maybe it was the fact that her apartment still smelled strongly of flowers even though she hadn't been there in over a week. But really, since when was Ino the girl of his dreams? Hadn't his dream always been about a plain, kind woman? Not too pretty and not too ugly? Or was that all denial? Was it just denial of what he really wanted because he was too lazy to go get it?

Well, here she was, the girl who he'd _fantasized _about since he'd awkwardly realized that she was actually a very pretty young woman six years ago. Damn Asuma and his formal dinner with Kurenai. Ino had looked absolutely angelic, with her hair done up in an elaborate bun instead of the standard ponytail she'd always worn and wearing a shimmering blue dress that fit her so closely it had to be sewn by rolls of measuring tape themselves. Her face had been framed by her bangs hanging so casually that it seemed as if they'd just blown free in the wind and hung perfectly on either side of her beautiful azure eyes.

His photographic memory brought back the day in exquisite detail. Or rather, it brought back _her_ on that day. He didn't remember much about the dinner, only that Choji had emptied Asuma's wallet again. He'd looked like a scrub in comparison. He still looked like a scrub compared to her, he realized, peering in her vanity mirror. His hair was loose and messy in its spiky ponytail, dry and lifeless compared to her shimmering locks. His face was sunburned and dry in comparision to her cotton soft skin. His features were unremarkable and his scowl … he realized for the first time how unattractive that must look. Ah, well. Nothing he could do about it now.

Nothing that wasn't _entirely_ too troublesome anyway.

He stared out of the window, wondering for the first time if some street kids had been impaled by a mysterious falling kunai. Clamoring quickly over her, he glanced down to see the knife imbedded safely in someone's roof. Across the street, a building lay in ruins with an enormous cleft left where Tayuya's armless demon had fallen through it.

His thoughts moved to the last sound nin. She had been arrested as soon as Shikamaru and Ino left and dragged off to a maximum security cell somewhere in the ANBU complex. He still had to figure out how to get her released. She hadn't been in control of her actions, that much was sure. It was likely that Orochimaru had programmed some sort of fail-safe into his curse that would cause his test subjects to go bonkers should they ever get inside Konoha.

He grimaced as he stepped from the window, attaching his feet to the building wall with his chakra. The early morning breeze brushed over him gently, seemingly pulling his anxiety with it. He had to speak with the ANBU captain. Get her transferred into Nara custody again.

Yeah. Like _that_ would happen. He'd have to pull a _lot_ of wool over their eyes to manage that.

And he had to teach Naruto that Hiraishin technique quickly. He would need it now that he'd be named interim Hokage almost immediately. And that was a whole can of worms in and of itself. He loved the jinchuuriki like a brother and thought he was a wonderful person, but Naruto as Hokage? Making decisions that reverberated across the entire ninja world? He shuddered, and it had nothing to do with the breeze. A niggling fear pushed its way into the back of his mind, telling him that the Hokage wasn't the only person who had been making broad, world-altering decisions.

He pushed the thought from his mind, not wanting the guilt that tried to come with it. He couldn't have been responsible for the Hokage's death. No. It couldn't be. There was no way they would retaliate this severely for that small village. No ninja had died there (no Shimogakure ones, anyway), and while he could foresee a declaration of war, a planned assassination of the Hokage herself was far too elaborate for one small village.

Regardless, _someone _had done it, and they were still in Konoha. As the smartest person within the walls (or so everyone seemed to think), he felt almost obligated to search them out. Problem was, that interfered directly with his plan to visit his hill the coming morning. It had been too long since he was cloud-watching, and he didn't know when he'd be able to do so again, what with training Naruto and all.

Thinking back to the technique, Shikamaru focused on the formula and pushed his consciousness out. For the first time, he felt a web of connections appear all over the town. Gasping in surprise, he channeled a bit of chakra into one of the connections, and an image of his bedroom appeared in his mind. At its center was the wall with the completed Hiraishin equation on it.

"Wow," he exclaimed as he retreated from the connection, feeling excitement pour through his veins. He pushed a bit more chakra into the technique, and felt even more connections fizzle into existence as he slowly increased his exertion, receiving signals from Hiraishin tags all over the city; tags Namikaze himself had to have placed for his own purposes. Shikamaru felt one such tag by its lonesome, miles away, in the direction of his favorite hill. He vowed to explore it one day, since it was so near to one of his favorite places. Adding to the mystery was that there didn't seem to be any image attached to this particular point, just a dull glow.

Then, something hit him. He could explore it right _now_. There was nothing stopping him, was there? His debilitating attachment to Ino notwithstanding, he could put that aside for a few moments, couldn't he? Besides, he had enough chakra to jump away and back. He leapt back into Ino's room, hastily clawing through her things. Finally finding a brush and paper, he scribbled down the equation and then pushed a tiny bit of chakra into the connection to test it. Sure enough, an image of himself standing in Ino's bedroom swam into his brain. He moved, and the image moved with him.

_This updates in real time?_

Now thoroughly impressed with the Yondaime, he slowed his breathing and formed the dozen hand seals that were normally necessary for the technique. It was incredible that Namikaze managed to do it without any seals whatsoever, since the only way Shikamaru could, mathematically, do so was to pump even _more_ chakra into the technique.

Rat-boar-dog … and he was done. He released the molded chakra, attaching himself to the point under the hill, and squeezed his eyes shut. He was still squinting four seconds later when he realized that the Yondaime would have been long gone in four seconds.

Opening one eye, he realized that he didn't feel anything different because nothing had happened. He scowled deeply, searching his mind for the reason he was still in Ino's room. Thinking about a particular paragraph in the Yondaime's notes, he searched out the point before making the seals this time. Just before he released the technique, however, someone pounded on his door. He released his molded chakra and rushed to the door before they woke Ino.

To his surprise, Naruto himself stood on the other side, looking distraught. He opened the door, and a chill went down his spine. His instincts screamed that something was wrong, even though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Naruto looked surprised that Shikamaru answered the door as the shadow nin glared at him.

"Quit making so much noise," he complained. "Ino's sleeping. What's wrong?"

Naruto wasted no time. "It's Hinata. Sakura needs Ino at the hospital _now_!"

Shikamaru didn't waste any time either, pulling Naruto inside and locking the door behind him. Instantly serious, he pointed at a cabinet he'd seen Ino put her medicines in.

"There are soldier pills in that cabinet. Grab two. I'll get Ino."

With his mind racing, wondering what could possibly have happened to Hinata, he lifted Ino from under the covers in one smooth motion.

"Ino, Hinata's hurt. Sakura needs you," he told her, still holding the sleepy girl upright.

Ino squinted up at him, no doubt searching his face for the worry that he was clamping down on so hard right then. He had no doubt that he'd look completely disinterested to anyone else, stern and uncaring, but Ino would pick out the tiny clues even he himself wasn't aware he was giving off.

She could see his dead serious gaze, even with the few rays of sunlight peeking over the horizon, and blinked sleep out of her eyes.

"Mmm hmm…Lets go," she mumbled, still not entirely awake.

Naruto barged in mercifully silent now, shoving the pills into Shikamaru's hand. He pressed them to Ino's lips before she could even utter the future Hokage a greeting. They all exchanged a look; one that had passed between them only once before. It was when the war had come down to the Konoha 11 against Madara and Sasuke's personal guard. It spoke of determination, sacrifice, and camaraderie without speaking a word, and they instantly understood that whatever it took to save their friend, it would be done.

Within seconds they were streaking across the rooftops, Shikamaru and Ino just a step behind Naruto as he lead them to the wrecked hospital. A large tent had been set up outside the decimated building, and most of the triage occurred there, with the worst injuries being passed inside to the still-undamaged wings of the hospital. Naruto arrived and conversed briefly with an attendant who pointed them inside.

_So Sakura's already working_, Shikamaru concluded. _No_ _prep at all. Was it that serious?_

They darted through the rubble and into the eastern wing, rushing to the surgery lab. Ino quickly scrubbed herself down and ran in as Shikamaru and Naruto watched through the plate glass of the observation room. Hinata lay on the table, pale and nearly lifeless, surrounded by surgeons and medical ninja alike. Sakura, Shizune, and now Ino all had their hands glowing a bright green as doctors stitched and sewed her gut back together. An IV drip was attached to her arm, but it was draining slowly. Too slowly.

"She'll be alright, you know," he told Naruto, trying just as hard to convince himself. He didn't know Hinata well, but the girl was always kind and respectful to him. He had no reason to dislike her, no reason to hope any lasting harm be done.

Naruto didn't look convinced at all, wringing his hands nervously as he looked on.

"I never thought …" he ventured. "I never thought anything like this would happen to one of _us_, ya know?"

Shikamaru looked away, unable to meet his eyes. He _did_ know. A week ago, it had been _him_ on that operating table, clinging to life by a thread.

"First you and now Hinata," Naruto mused, his fist clenching. "Kiba said she was almost dead. She should have _died_. I thought I was protecting everyone when I fought Madara and Sasuke. Was he right? Is the only way to end this suffering is to kill the people responsible?"

Shikamaru scoffed, more at the idea of Naruto protecting everyone than anything else he said. "Naruto, I don't think it's that simple and I'm pretty sure you know that, too."

The jinchuuriki turned away, unable to meet Shikamaru's eyes. "Damn you," he said, scowling so deeply that Shikamaru couldn't help but feel a surge of pride at making the effervescent Naruto do so. "I know, Shikamaru, but why Hinata? She's so innocent and kind…"

His voice trailed off, and Shikamaru returned his eyes to the scene in front of him. Sakura and Ino were holding their glowing hands above her gut while Shizune and another surgeon opened the wound again, presumably to heal it properly and avoid further hemorrhaging. It was terrible medicine from what Shikamaru understood on an academic level, but they were the best of the best, and they were desperate.

"She told me she loved me," Naruto confessed quietly, breaking the brief moment of silence.

Shikamaru's eyebrows shot up. Not that he was surprised that Hinata loved Naruto. She had been pining over him since the academy. Everyone knew _that_. No, he was surprised that she'd had the guts to tell him.

"And she was more honest about it than _Sakura_."

The observation room opened and a man billowed through, all robes and haughty scowl. Hyuga Hiashi stared down at his dying daughter with a look of utmost contempt, and Shikamaru felt his blood boil.

"Weak little girl," he muttered before turning to leave. Shikamaru barely heard the growl that came from Naruto's throat, but two hand seals later Kagemane no Jutsu was restraining the jinchuuriki before he could leap up to attack the Hyuga clan head.

"Shut up!" Naruto hollered, fists balled menacingly. "Don't you dare speak of Hinata that way, you bastard!"

Hiashi smirked in amusement, pausing without leaving the room. His hand rested on the doorframe, but he did not look back. He didn't have to.

"Or what, Jinchuuriki? Will you abolish my clan after you are named Hokage? Or will you wait for a woman you'll never have?"

"You know I can. And maybe I will, but at least I won't end up like you. Forty years old and still unable to express emotion."

The shadow nin genuinely felt like he was intruding on something very private and tried to make himself invisible. If he weren't holding Naruto back, he'd have activated Mesaigakure again.

"Of course, boy," the man said, finally glancing his way, his eyes hard. "Because you understand nothing about being a clan head and orchestrating decisions that are above simple emotion. Whom your daughter marries, for instance."

Shikamaru smirked, knowing that if you baited Naruto, you'd always get a rise. Hiashi had asked for it.

"If she's the rightful heir, maybe I'll make _her _the clan head, and then she can decide for herself," Naruto growled darkly. No one in the room missed the hidden warning in his words.

Shikamaru was impressed. He didn't think Naruto was _capable_ of veiled threats.

Hiashi didn't flinch, but but his eyebrows knitted minutely, and Shikamaru could feel the tension in the room spike. If he didn't do something, this was going to become a fight to the death.

"Naruto. Let fools make their beds," he said simply, ignoring the fact that he was probably declaring war between their clans. Ironically, the phrase was an adage his mother had used many times describing his father's irresponsibility. If Hiashi wanted to be stupid enough to pick a fight with the most powerful ninja on the face of the earth, he could go right ahead—he deserved it, in Shikamaru's opinion. Just not when he was around. He didn't want Naruto blowing _him_ up on accident.

Hiashi turned away again. "My Byakugan can see the lies in your soul, Nara Shikamaru. You defend the boy, but who are you? Murderer, or savior? The jonin council is pondering that right now."

And he was gone, disappearing in a moment of body flicker. Naruto snarled, stumbling forward as Shikamaru released the Kagemane.

"Hinata isn't weak! You hear me! SHE ISN'T!" he yelled after him.

But Shikamaru hadn't budged. _Who was he? Murderer or savior?_ Just what did the Hyuga head know? And what did he mean by this? Making a note to drop by the jonin council meeting, he glanced down at Ino, still engrossed in her work. Her green hospital scrubs were a stark contrast to the hastily wrapped blonde hair poking haphazardly from beneath her hairnet. Shikamaru had to go, and Ino couldn't follow. He knew it would come down to this one way or another. This wasn't a brief jaunt from her window. This was taking care of business. Hell, she might be in there all day. He'd be back later.

He took in a deep shuddering breath as he prepared to battle his demons and looked at Naruto.

"Make some clones," he told the boy, crossing his fingers into the necessary hand seals himself.

"Kage bunshin no jutsu," he cried. A single shadow clone appeared, and Shikamaru felt his chakra neatly quartered by the technique.

Naruto looked dumbfounded. "I didn't know you could do that!"

"It is the _shadow_ clone jutsu," Shikamaru drawled, pointing out the obvious. "Now make four clones. Send them to get Shino, Neji and Lee. The last one will be taking off with my clone here."

"What about Kiba?" Naruto asked, for once not backtracking over the details. Maybe Tsunade had been teaching him something after all.

"I've got a feeling the one that gets Shino will find him as well. Downstairs." He pointed at the operating table visible through the tinted glass.

"Oh," Naruto mumbled, reaching the conclusion as he popped a few clones into existence. He didn't even looked fazed by it while Shikamaru was panting slightly. A tiny bit of jealousy crept through his veins, but he squashed it instantly. No use crying over spilled chakra.

Taking a deep breath, he looked again at Ino and tried to burn the feeling of her presence into his consciousness. A stab of disgust shot through him about being so dependent, and he steadied himself. "Let's go."

They took off, leaving a very surprised orderly wondering why seven boys looked distinctly like only two.

"Did you see something, Tenchi?" another worker asked him.

"No," the man replied, sounding like he had seen a ghost. He promptly changed his answer. "I hope not."

...

Shikamaru pushed himself through the night air, getting farther and farther from Ino with every step. _Ino his crutch_, he thought before he could stop himself. He glanced at Naruto running beside him as he felt the blackness start to envelop his mind, and it receded slightly, held at bay by familiarity and friendship.

He was a cripple now. It wasn't Ino's fault. She'd been wonderful to him lately, but he had his doubts about how genuine her 'love' for him was. Hadn't she ignored him for years? And in the forest that day, she'd had the nerve to tell him she didn't know when her feelings began. He scoffed. They probably started less than a month ago.

Shikamaru was many things but he was no fool. His mind wandered back to just a few hours before, when she'd made that impossible request. '_Don't ever die, Shikamaru.'_ As if. He didn't plan on dying and his plans were usually pretty good, but that seemed like a remarkably selfish thing to ask. He was a ninja after all.

Angling himself for the Hokage Monument, he paused outside of a certain cleft of rock, thinking back to the pattern he'd seen an ANBU drum once. He copied it exactly and instantly, for ANBU surrounded the two, hesitating when the saw who it was.

"What are you doing here?" an acidic voice spat. Shikamaru turned to see the purple haired woman from last night yet again.

"Trying to find an ANBU," he replied calmly, addressing her. "It's about Tsunade-sama's death."

She stiffened, and Shikamaru wondered how he was going to bluff his way into their maximum-security prison. It couldn't be too hard. He was the heir of a respected clan, and Naruto was … well … Naruto. That didn't change protocol, but he figured he could wheedle his way around that with some … leverage.

"And what exactly do you know? You can tell us right here," Yugao replied.

"Me?" he said, his face still the picture of stoicism. "Nothing. But I can get answers from the girl."

"We have our ways of getting answers." The response was a clipped dismissal, but Shikamaru noticed a slight change in the ANBU's posture. He pushed further.

"I have a feeling you're having a bit of trouble with that one," he said. "But I'll tell you now she had nothing to do with the assassination."

It was conjecture, he knew, but Shikamaru's educated guesses were worth more than most people's. He'd put his clan's fortune against the wager that she'd plotted to kill Tsunade.

"How do you know?" Yugao replied, hand sliding toward her kunai holster.

_Good. Trust no one_.

"Call it a hunch," he replied, his mind moving faster than it had in what seemed like forever. "But there's something I have to do for Konoha's sake. It has to do with my last mission."

Yugao twitched and another ANBU tried to intervene, but she silenced him with a wave. "And what is that, Nara?"

_Good. Now trust me._

"I have to find the killer. No one else can do it, and Tayuya sees what her Doki see. I'm sure they saw the killer at one point."

"How do you know that? And we have our own investigation—"

"That'll take forever," he interrupted. He was losing her. Time to play his trump card. "And I'm sure she's been holding out to talk to 'Shikamaru-sama', anyway."

Naruto looked agitated and he could hold his tongue no longer. "He's trying to help, geez! Will you all just do what he says?"

Yugao stiffened visibly, and he knew they'd struck a nerve. "Come with me. Naruto-kun, you stay here."

Shikamaru's smile broadened as he walked past the confused jinchuuriki, and nodded to him. The shadow clone exploded in a puff of smoke, taking the information necessary back to the real Naruto. The ANBU surrounding him jumped visibly, and Yugao narrowed her eyes at him distrustfully. Shikamaru just shrugged.

"Lead on."

Scowling, she pushed open the wall and practically dragged him inside, holding onto the front of his shirt and not letting go. They were in a narrow cave with a low ceiling, and he couldn't see his hand in front of his face, so he didn't protest. After walking behind her for what seemed like hours through twists and turns, they emerged into a very normal looking reception area. A desk was in the corner with a bored looking ANBU clicking away at a computer and chairs littered the rest of the area. There was even a table with recent magazines piled atop it.

Not at all what he expected of the ANBU complex.

The reception ninja stood quickly, saluting Yugao as she passed, dragging Shikamaru close behind and they passed through several, increasingly complex, increasingly ANBU-like security stations as well as one chamber with some sort of sealing jutsu imbedded in it. He felt his chakra almost entirely suppressed for a moment and smirked to himself, happy he'd made the decision to send his clone on the opposite mission. That little trap would have released the jutsu immediately.

After passing through security, they angled down, heading deeper into the Hokage mountain. Before long, they were in what was unmistakably a prison. Iron closed off every room. Not a shred of rock was available anywhere for a ninja to Doton his way through. Cells were sprinkled at twenty-meter intervals with heavy bolted doors and a guard at each one. There were only six.

There were no windows a hundred meters underground. Only the harsh lights running the length of the ceiling allowed them to see at all. The only sound other than the steady hum of the air conditioning was … crying?

They approached a cell and Yugao made a few hand seals, apparently unlocking it with some sort of jutsu. The guard opened the door. Inside, Tayuya lay in a heap in the room. An observation window was to the right and a small bed to the left. There was nothing else.

The redhead was laying on her side with her back facing the door, sniffling slightly as she sobbed into the crook of her own arm. She was wearing the same clothing as the night before, the Nara clan symbol prominently on her back. The guard looked between the emblem on her clothes and the patch on Shikamaru's sweater and gulped.

"I have nothing to tell you," she ground out, not looking up. Yugao said nothing, standing aside so that Shikamaru could inch his way closer. He felt distinctly uncomfortable, and flashbacks of his torture came unbidden to his mind, except that in his place was Tayuya and in his captor's place was Yugao.

Shikamaru dispelled the illusion as if it were a genjutsu and knelt down behind the sobbing girl.

"Tayuya," he whispered.

Her breath caught in her throat and she looked up slowly, as if not daring to hope that it was really him.

She finally met his eyes, and before he could move she flung herself into his chest, sobbing all the harder into his neck.

"Shikamaru-sama! You came! I was so scared! I can't take this anymore!—hic—Get me out of here, please! I didn't do it!"

She continued wailing, and the shadow nin patted her back awkwardly, not knowing how to respond. It was a huge departure from the brooding, stoic Tayuya he was (sort of) used to, but in retrospect, it wasn't a bad change. Brooding, stoic Tayuya was creepy.

After a few minutes, he calmed her down to rationality and sat next to her.

"Tayuya, I don't know if I can get you out of here," he whispered. Her face fell to that of supreme sadness, and he felt his heart tug awkwardly toward her. "Ah, troublesome," he muttered. "But I'll try."

She perked up instantly and smiled a genuine, heartfelt smile. He felt himself wondering what possessed him to say that to her. Her puffy, red eyes looked at him with absolute adoration, and he sighed heavily, dedicating part of his attention to plan an escape.

"Look, I know you don't have anything to do with Tsunade-sama, but someone did. You can see what your Doki see, right?"

She nodded, clearly wondering where this was going. Yugao listened intently as well as four other ANBU who'd shown up in the last minute or so.

"One of them destroyed the hospital. Do you remember that?"

She nodded again, furrowing her brow as she remembered. "Yes. We were following someone. Some dirty little black haired fuck that was getting away every time we got close."

Shikamaru quirked an eyebrow at her use of the word 'we.' It was kind of creepy, but he didn't stop her.

"And then he … he_ let_ us hit him. I don't know why. But we were angry and we chased him. He fell into the hospital and we … followed. I'm sorry, I could not control myself!"

"I know, I know," he said, calming her before she got agitated again. "Can you tell us what he looked like?"

Tayuya scoffed. "I said he was a dirty, little, black-haired fuck, didn't I?" She promptly clamped her hands over her mouth, like a child who'd sworn unintentionally for the first time. "Shikamaru-sama, I—"

He waved off her apologies, excusing her odd behavior. "We kinda need a better description. That's not good enough for a manhunt."

Tayuya nodded without taking her hands from her mouth. "Yes, Shikamaru-sama," she intoned. Her voice cracked.

"I—we saw him when we hit him. He had a scar. On his right cheek. From the bottom of his eye to his chin. Brown eyes. And he was …" she struggled with the phrasing of this next part. "Incredibly handsome."

Yugao nodded and one of the ANBU disappeared soundlessly, no doubt to set an APB. If he were still in the village, they'd have him in custody by noon.

"Thank you," she said, more to Shikamaru than Tayuya. "Now leave the prisoner. We're going to—"

"I don't think so," Shikamaru interrupted. He felt Tayuya tense beside him, no doubt hoping against hope that she could be freed.

"If you want to be locked in here you can—"

"I think," Shikamaru interrupted again, "Tayuya needs to be reclaimed into Nara custody."

Tayuya gripped his forearm tightly, her nails digging into his skin.

"You can't—" Yugao began, looking annoyed. But it was apparent to everyone in the room that he _could_.

"Under section A subsection 3c of the Clan laws, prisoners held by a clan must be released into Konoha custody by form 803a and subforms 8012 and 8056. Can I see your paperwork?"

Shikamaru was sweating now. He'd made up subform 8056, thinking that none of the ANBU would remember the passage he'd quoted anyway. In the off chance they had the other two, he'd walk out on a bluff at best. It was an old, archaic rule, and Shikamaru was surprised that _he _remembered it.

He felt infinitely grateful to his mother for drilling him on clan law constantly as a boy. He was going to be the clan head, after all.

The ANBU didn't budge.

"We … ah … don't have any," the guard said. "We kind of just took her when she destroyed half of Konoha."

"Hyperbole," Shikamaru dismissed them, sounding a lot more confident than he felt at that moment. "Under subsection M of the Fair Prisoner Exchange Act, a direct representative appointed by the head family is eligible to retrieve the misappropriated prisoner. I'll be taking her now."

"And who appointed you?" Yugao asked darkly, not prepared to give up that easily.

Shikamaru smirked, knowing that the ANBU captain was on the jonin council. By Hiashi's own admission, he was in a meeting, and while he didn't know ANBU ranking structure, he had a feeling there wasn't anyone with the authority to challenge him right now.

"I appointed myself," he drawled. "As the son of the clan head."

"Just follow me. They can't touch you," Shikamaru whispered to the redhead. She did as she was told, and they walked right past a furious Yugao back the way they'd come. Tayuya was barely a hair's breath behind Shikamaru as they made good their escape.

Shikamaru turned the corner to pass the security checkpoints, and his blood ran cold. He stared into the icy black eyes of the last Uchiha as he was being escorted back to his own cell. Shikamaru paid the man no mind and kept walking, but made a mental note of exactly which cell he was shoved into.

They came across the reception room without further incident, Yugao following them with bitterness rolling off her in waves. She stopped the receptionist who leapt up to arrest the two.

"How do you propose you get out of here?" she asked Shikamaru, smirking behind her mask. "You can't possibly make it back through the tunnels."

Shikamaru thought back to their trip in which he recalled with amazing clarity. He constructed a mental map of the dark tunnels and inverted it so he could see the way out in his minds eye.

"Left, forward, four rights, forward, left, right, right, forward—"

"Fine," Yugao snapped angrily, waving him off. "But we'll have that paperwork done soon, so don't think she's out of here for long."

Shikamaru smirked, hoping his directions were as good as the sounded. Sure enough, a few minutes later, they emerged into the warm morning air. Tayuya dropped to her knees, wracked with sobs again. He helped her to her feet and she yanked her arm back, sniffling.

"I don't need you to baby me," she told him, following him down the winding mountain path. She clamped her mouth shut again, looking away embarrassedly. "I'm sorry, Shikamaru-sama. That won't—"

"What's with that?" he asked, ignoring her apology. She looked up, frightened, but his amused smirk reassured her. "One minute you're the perfect servant and the next you're … how I remembered you in that forest."

She muttered a curse under her breath and bowed deeply. "I will not fail as your servant again—"

"Stop it," he said, lifting her chin with his finger until she was standing upright again. She regarded him with something he couldn't recognize in her eyes, some sort of fascination at the simple touch. Her mouth was parted slightly and she breathed only in tiny gasps of air. "Troublesome."

And he leapt off the mountain.

"Wait!" she hollered. "I thought you wanted me to be your servant!"

She chased him down the mountain, finally catching him at the bottom. "Shikamaru-sama!"

He stopped and turned to her. "I never said that. You did, remember?"

"But …" Confusion clouded the redhead's eyes, and Shikamaru noticed for the first time how much taller than her he was. She had to be at least an inch shorter than even Ino.

"But when Kabuto saved me, he …"

_Kabuto? What does he have to do with this?_

"He … he demanded my loyalty in exchange for my life. He could have left me to die, but he saved me instead. When you gave me my free will back … it was the same thing to me. Kabuto, he … did things to me. I was alive, yes, but I felt dead inside. You, too, saved my life, but I felt alive. So I offered my loyalty to you."

She said it as if it were so simple, like she weren't dealing with incredibly huge decisions and problems that Shikamaru would be loath to deal with in his life. He began to feel sorry for her, just a bit. She had tried to kill him as a boy, but it wasn't of her free will. That was obvious. She had it pretty bad.

"I don't want to be your master," he said simply. "You can stick around, but no more honorifics. I'm Shikamaru. Anything else is far too troublesome."

"_Hai_, Shikamaru-sama," she said, bowing deeply enough that her hair would hide her smile.

…

Ino threw off her scrubs in the locker room and stepped into the shower area, rinsing the worst of the blood and grime off of her body. Hinata's blood and grime. They had stabilized their friend, and she would live. Hinata was a long way from okay—she would be in intensive care for at least a week and there was no telling how much follow up work she and Sakura would have to do—but the relief flooding through her veins felt better than the hot water rushing across her bare skin.

She had to hurry, though: Shikamaru was up in the observation room and she couldn't stay away from him too long. He was doing much better, but if he had a relapse while she was away from him she'd never forgive herself.

Ino heard a soft sob behind her. Sakura trudged into the shower, turning on the faucet beside Ino without looking up.

Ino bit back her aggressive nature to peer closely at her friend.

"Saku, what's wrong?" she asked, genuinely concerned. It had been a long time since Sakura had cried around her. Usually it was the other way around after some asshole guy would hurt Ino's feelings and she would sob on her best friend's shoulder until she felt better.

_And then I'd wait for Shikamaru's attention, which was never forthcoming_, she thought darkly.

"It's Hinata," Sakura sobbed, leaning against the wall and sliding down it. She pulled her knees to her chest and kept crying as the water poured over her hair. "I feel like a horrible person."

Ino frowned, sitting beside her. "Why? You just saved her life!"

Sakura shook her head violently, flinging water all over Ino. She fought the urge to get upset and put her arm over Sakura's shoulder instead.

"I didn't want to," Sakura whispered after a long minute. "I saw Naruto's face when Kiba brought her in. She loves him, you know."

Ice settled in Ino's veins at this. She hadn't wanted to save Hiinata's life? How_ could_ she …

"I think," Sakura continued, "I think he's going to pick her. He doesn't want me anymore. I'm too rough on him. And I hurt him too much."

Ino felt herself growing sick. That was no reason to _not_ save a life, no matter what happened! Even after the way she'd seen Shikamaru act with Tayuya, she didn't hesitate to throw herself into the girl's body and nearly get killed to save her life. And Tayuya meant _way _less to her than Hinata!

"I'm horrible, I know," Sakura said, taking Ino's silence for disapproval, which it was. "I can't believe I even had that thought. I was a wreck. I'm sure you noticed."

Ino had noticed, but she'd chalked it up to nerves, fatigue, and not having Tsunade working with them. It was the first time they'd performed major surgery without her.

"You can't always control what you think, Sakura. You did a great job with Hinata. She'll be fine, okay?" Ino could hardly believe the words she was saying, but they came tumbling out nonetheless. "As long as you did the right thing, it's okay. Besides, I don't think I'd try to heal Temari if she stumbled across Shikamaru, right?"

It was out before she thought about it, and she winced at her own words. Sakura wasn't convinced.

"But Temari's such a bitch," the pinkette protested. "Hinata is our friend, and me and Naruto aren't even together. I just felt like … she was going to steal him from me."

"As long as you did the right thing," Ino repeated, but now even she was no longer sure. "And besides, Shika and I aren't together either," she added bitterly.

Sakura looked up sharply. "But I thought …"

"Yeah, me too. But he made it abundantly clear yesterday that I 'wasn't his girlfriend anyway'."

Sakura looked down, unable to form words of comfort because she had none to offer.

Ino stood up, noting that the spray of water was growing cold quickly. "Come on. I've got to get upstairs before he freaks out and attacks someone else."

Sakura stood too, but didn't follow Ino. "That wasn't very nice," she whispered.

Ino refrained from lashing out at Sakura with the frustration that was building up inside her. Sakura didn't deserve that. She had enough to deal with. Besides, what did she know about wanting something your whole life and not knowing it, then getting a tiny glimpse of it, and then finding out that it was never really yours? Nothing. She'd have nothing to say, Ino decided.

Ino toweled off, dressed, and headed up to the observation deck, now grievously late. She figured she'd tell Shikamaru the truth about why she'd dallied rather than have him wonder why she lied. He always seemed to see through her lies, anyway. She turned the corner and looked into an empty room.

"Shikamaru?" she called, panic rising in her chest. "Shikamaru, where are you?"

But she didn't get an answer. Thunder hammered behind her breast as she rushed out, searching for anyone who would have seen him leave. There was no telling what he was going through right now, no way to know what kind of relapse he would be having, and it was all her fault. Just because she stayed behind to help her oldest friends through a crisis.

_Some reward_, she thought bitterly.

_**Since when has Shikamaru rewarded you for what you do? He's way too lazy for that.**_

Ino grimaced and rushed to an orderly who was rolling a patient to a different ward. "Did you see Nara Shikamaru around here?" she asked worriedly.

The man's eyes went wide and he nodded, pointing at a window near the observation room. "Yeah. Him and the Naruto kid ran off with a bunch of clones. It was kind of freaky, actually."

Ino's heart clenched in her chest. He'd just _left_? Didn't he need her? Wasn't that her job? Her place in his life right now? If he could just replace her with anyone _blonde _…

An unwanted image of Temari's smug smile at the Shimogakure inn flitted through her mind, and anger set in her heart. No. It was Shikamaru. He _had_ to have a reason.

She left and began her search, checking everywhere she thought he could be, but had a hard time finding _anybody_, really. Everyone except Sakura seemed to have disappeared. Not even Kiba and Shino were in the hospital waiting on Hinata.

_It had to be something important,_ she decided, cutting through the park as she headed for the Hokage tower. _Maybe there was a mission briefing or something …_

She froze halfway there as she heard an unfamiliar laugh and a very familiar drawl.

Her heart leapt into her throat. She knew what she'd just stumbled across without having to peek her head through the bushes. But she had to know who it was. She had to know who was better than she was, who he needed more than her. It hurt every fiber of her being, but she pushed through the foliage and stepped out to the base of Shikamaru's hill.

She saw him laying comfortably on his back, hands behind his head as he stared at the clouds. Tayuya lay beside him, pointing at something and laughing. _Laughing_! Shikamaru chuckled and whispered something to her before he spotted Ino and froze. Tayuya looked up, too, and laughed again, smiling broadly despite the look of horror that Ino knew had to be plastered onto her face. She laughed at _her_.

"Ino," Shikamaru breathed. "I can explain—"

She didn't hear anything else. She ran away, anger choking down any words that could have made a difference.

_So he was just like all the other guys deep down, huh? And after everything that happened: after making me believe that we would be together, after making me believe he cared! He didn't need me, did he? Well, guess what Shika?_

_I don't need you either!_

* * *

_A/N: I__ heard about all the tornadoes and flooding and bad weather in the southern part of the US right after i posted chapter 17. For all my Southern readers, i pray you and your families are safe, healthy and taken care of. _

_So sorry this chapter took so long to write. Its been almost two weeks hasn't it? Gomen nasai to all of you. This was seriously the hardest chapter to write thus far, following up on that (sniff) tragedy! i hope you all werent bored to death, since it ended up without much action, just character and relationship development (poor Ino, she has the worst luck) all around and setting up some events still to come (*foreshadows obviously*). For all you drama junkies, you should get a kick out of this. ;) for everyone else, there's more plot and action coming in the next chapter, so hold your pants! I'l try my best to get it up in the next week!_

_I hope you don't hate me too much for making you wait on a cliffie like last chapter! And __Review if the mood strikes you! I'm close to 100 reviews for the first time! I can almost smell it! 100 reviews would make me SOOO happy! _

_(PS: i found out that my account had disabled anonymous reviews, so i undid that. Sorry if you dont have an account and you tried to review before! i had no idea!)_

_[/rant] __Paperazzi 0uT!_

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	19. And Rumors of War

_A/N: Here is the betaed chapter, as promised. To those who already might have read the unbetaed one, nothing major has been changed, but as always, Renting makes my talentless drabble look really good for you guys. Thanks for 100 reviews! I'm psyched!_

* * *

**Chapter 19**

**And Rumors of...**

_War. _

That was the only conclusion the ten Jonin could come to. The council sat in a circle, poker faces on display, glaring at each other as if trying to make each other flinch. Yuhi Kurenai, recently restored to active duty, was looking agitated, as if wanting to escape as soon as possible to return to her infant son. Akimichi Choza was noticeably absent, since he was away with his son again on urgent clan business. No one knew what the men were up to, for they remained steeped in mystery on their outings. Of the ninja left, only Hiashi Hyuga was not a Jonin, but the clan head was admitted to the council on principle, as the leader and representative of the village's most powerful remaining bloodline family.

Kakashi Hatake sighed as he looked across the grand oak table. Nara Shikaku leered from his seat across Kakashi, staring down the Hunter nin captain, Tora. The man had already made his decision, voting for war over any peaceful resolution, and Kakashi could clearly see why.

No self-respecting country could allow its leader to be assassinated within its own walls and not declare war. That would invite every country in the world to take potshots at it. Kakashi didn't like the idea of war, but he was no fool.

Right now, the vote was split two and two, and the copy ninja held the final vote. At just over thirty he was the youngest jonin present on the council, but easily the most respected and most feared, thus his vote was to be the deciding one. Shikaku, Kurenai, and Inoichi as well had already voted 'no' but Tora, Hiashi, and Aburame Shibi voted 'yes'.

Kakashi sighed and declared his intention for war, wondering how much time the preparations were going to take from his reading.

Shikaku looked as if he was going to leap over the table, and Kakashi held up a steadying hand.

"Shikaku-san," he said politely. "Please allow me to explain. We do not know who attacked us, yet we can be reasonably sure that it was Kumogakure or one of their allies. If we wage a brief war, other countries will stay out of it, since Konoha and Kumo's casualties were lightest in the Fourth World War. They cannot hope to pick sides and make a difference against us. If we do not wage war, however, it would send a signal that we are weaker than we appear, and that will invite attacks from whoever feels they are particularly strong since we lost our very own Hokage.

"Also, they see Naruto as a double prize. Since he made no bones about his … _candidacy_ for Hokage, people are well aware that our Jinchuuriki and Hokage are going to be one and the same. Therefore, they will attack him directly, seeking to strike two heavy blows with one death."

Shikaku looked as if he were swallowing dung, but relaxed back into his seat at Inoichi's urging.

"A wise decision, Kakashi-san," Tora uttered from his seat. His deep voice reverberated through the room, making Kakashi glace disinterestedly for any listening devices that might have slipped in. He didn't see any. Just a small insect on the windowsill that…

"Shibi-san," Kakashi interrupted. "I believe your son is listening in."

The Jonin smiled broadly. "Congratulations, Shino. I could not detect your presence at all. Come in."

He heard several upset voices come from the hallway outside, and the door swung open, revealing the two chuunin guards standing stock still. Kakashi looked closer until he noticed the reason. A thick black shadow connected one guard to the other, and a large, dirty sock was stuffed into the mouth of each.

Shikamaru, Shino, Neji, Lee, Kiba, and Naruto trudged in, the latter two looking downcast and the former three looking absolutely inscrutable. Lee looked excited, but didn't he always?

"I apologize for spying," Shino spoke first. "We decided it was in our best interest. Why? Because—"

Tora leapt up, outraged. "Fools! You cannot decide what is in the village's best interest if—"

Kakashi held up his hand, silencing Tora before the bickering began in earnest. "I understand your reasoning, Shino-kun. Say no more. Tell us, though, what do you all think about this? You have experienced war. I daresay the greatest burden would be on _your_ generation were we to attack another nation."

Shikamaru scoffed, but said nothing, and Shino looked as if he were thinking hard.

Naruto, naturally, was the first to speak up. "I say no!" he yelled. "It's stupid to go attacking people just 'cause they attacked us! Nothing's ever going to change like this!"

"It was hardly a simple attack, Naruto-kun," Inoichi said, rising from his seat. "Our Hokage is dead, and we still haven't apprehended the murderer."

Naruto looked down at the floor. "I understand Baa-chan is dead … I can't believe it myself. But I don't see how killing more people is going to make it okay."

"Naruto," Kakashi said quietly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Nothing we can do will make it better, but if we do nothing, we will be inviting people who don't think like you do to kill more innocents. Which option is better? To fight and die as a warrior, ready to sacrifice your life? Or to die as a civilian, unable to defend yourself because the people who promised to defend you would not fight?"

Naruto looked away, unwilling to meet Kakashi's eyes, and the jonin turned back around in his seat.

"I agree with Naruto," Lee said boldly. "I do not like it anymore than he does or any of you do, and I understand what my job is, whatever this youthful council decides. We shall perform our duty to the best of our abilities!"

"Kakashi-san." Tora looked supremely annoyed after Lee's outburst. "How are we supposed to listen to a council of children? Their naïveté will get everyone killed. You can consider my vote for Hokage against Uzumaki Naruto."

_That_ got Naruto's attention. "Who the hell are you anyway? I've never seen you before! What does it matter if I'm naïve? I can still kick your—"

"Naruto!" Kakashi yelled, interrupting his tirade. "The Hokage is more than brute strength. Before you are ready to lead us, you must learn to win a fight before you throw a punch. I'm not saying you have to actually _do_ that all the time, but you still must be able to."

"Of course I can do that!" Naruto hollered. "If you want to nip this problem in the bud, we have to find who sent that assassin before we attack anyway! We can't just declare war on a random nation!"

Kakashi began to sweat as the room suddenly became extremely hot. "Naruto, I assure you selecting Kumogakure was not at random…"

"It doesn't matter!" he said. "Until we catch this guy, how can we even consider going to war? You saw what happened to our village just last year! I thought we were fighting for peace!"

Kakashi sighed heavily, leaning back in his seat. "Naruto, I understand how idealistic you are, but maybe now you understand how fragile peace is in a world run by warriors."

Naruto looked crestfallen, staring at his hands with an expression of complete disbelief. "But the last world war before the Akatsuki was like twenty years ago! We can't possibly have another war so soon!"

"Not another world war, hopefully," Kakashi said, resting his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "But that's our reality." He turned to the rest of the boys. "And your opinions?"

Kiba stepped forward aggressively, a dull fire in his eyes. Kakashi knew that look. It was the look in his own eyes when he'd joined ANBU after Rin's death. "I vote war. Sorry Naruto, but we have to kill these bastards now before they hurt anyone else we care about. "

Lee nodded his consent and Shino looked away, his brow furrowed heavily. "I also believe war is our only option. Why? Because we cannot allow ourselves to be pushed around. Indecisiveness will be viewed as weakness and invite more attacks."

Naruto looked at them as if they were traitors. "You already know my vote."

Neji was the last to speak, only talking when all eyes moved to him. "I cannot say. My voice holds no weight in this council."

Tora snorted. "Finally, a child who knows his place."

Kakashi ignored him, but didn't miss Shibi's appreciative expression. "My question, boys, is not contingent on your ninja rank. You will be the future leaders of our village. Some of you are today's leaders. Your opinions are as valuable as any in this village." Kakashi smiled broadly. "Especially as valuable as some old, washed up farts in a big, fancy office."

Tora growled loudly, casting a dark look at the Jonin, but the other adults nodded in agreement and Kurenai beamed.

"Too true," Shikaku noted. "It took me four minutes to notice that shadow clone isn't my own son. Wise words, Kakashi-san."

Shikamaru's clone smirked, and Inoichi looked quite surprised. He looked as if he'd secretly been plotting some evildoing to the young man and his nefarious plans were unexpectedly spoiled.

Shibi smiled. "It does appear that our skills are eroding. Either that, or our children are indeed beginning to surpass us."

"This is folly!" Tora yelled, leaping to his feet. "These children could no more kill those in this room than they could the Raikage! I would no more take their council than that of any other fool who lives in this village! Our Hokage is dead, and we must act with surety and strength, not compassion!"

The entire room fell silent, and a large drop of sweat beaded on Kakashi's temple.

"Actually," spoke Shikamaru's clone, "there are some who think the real me is the smartest person in this country—no offense to you, dad. Kakashi-san outranks you, taicho, and you've also already voted, so what we say is for those who would like to listen only. If you consider us fools, then you've already overstayed your welcome in the future that's to come."

Everyone was dead silent, and Kakashi's sweat drop fell several inches, miraculously avoiding being dispersed by his sweat-wicking mask.

"Tora, what he means is—" Kakashi began, attempting to run damage control on the captain's bruised ego.

But Tora slammed his fist down on the table, murder in his eyes. "No, Kakashi-san. This insolent boy thinks his aptitude surpasses my experience. We shall see. Right now, if he can defeat me in battle, I will acknowledge their council's importance in this coming time."

A pregnant silence filled in the room while they waited for Shikamaru's reply. Kakashi briefly wondered if shadow clones really thought _exactly_ like the original. If so, the notorious lazy-nin had developed quite the snarky tone today.

The clone, however shrugged off Tora's challenge, insulting him further in word and deed. "To be honest," he drawled casually, examining his nails, "I don't really care if you acknowledge us. I'll accept the challenge, but only because you're about to place your vote in support of Naruto as a wager, and he needs all the support he can get right now."

Naruto looked downright amazed as he gazed at Shikamaru's clone, and the rest of the room followed suit. Shikaku slammed his face into his palm as the clone disappeared in a puff of acrid smoke.

"This isn't good," he said. "We don't need to be fighting each other right now. We're about to declare war."

Inoichi didn't seem to agree. "No, let him fight," he said, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. "I want to see what kind of _man_ he really is."

The way he said the word 'man' let Kakashi know that his motives were entirely parental. Kakashi himself was indifferent. He knew that, logically, Shikamaru would be creamed fighting a ninja of Tora's caliber, even with Tora holding back all of his instant-death-style jutsus. But something about the boy's confidence was unnerving. Naruto had well surpassed Kakashi, so it wasn't entirely unlikely that Shikamaru might have surpassed Asuma too, which would make their fight more than fair. In fact, Kakashi might put his money on Asuma beating the pants off Tora were he still around.

It would be interesting, so he would allow it. But his reasoning was far more deep and well thought out than simple interest.

It would give him an excellent excuse to read.

…

Meanwhile, the real Shikamaru ducked beneath a branch as he pursued Ino, with Tayuya only a step behind him.

"I don't get it!" the redhead wailed. "I laughed because she had blood in her hair! Why did she run away?"

"You're trying to fool a genius," Shikamaru reminded her without looking back. "You were laughing at her because she was hurt and you were with me instead. Don't lie. It makes me want to take you back to ANBU and avoid all this trouble entirely. When we catch her, you're going to go apologize like a normal person."

"I'm not a normal person," she muttered darkly. "And I'm _not_ going to apologize."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and focused on catching up. Ino seemed to have gotten remarkably swift in the last year or so. She stayed just out of his eyesight, but not far enough ahead that he couldn't hear her choked sobs.

_Dammit,_ he thought. _How did I not see this coming?_

At that very moment, his clone dispersed without warning, returning to him most of his expended chakra and a great deal of new information about a duel with an ANBU captain.

He hadn't seen that coming.

"What!" he yelled, surprised and distracted.

Being distracted, he soon learned, was very bad when leaping through trees at breakneck speed. And there was a great emphasis on the word 'breakneck.'

WHAM!

He slammed into a branch that he had originally intended to duck beneath, tumbling head over feet until he landed in a heap in a laudably soft flower garden. If it weren't for that and his chakra-enhanced resilience, he would've broken several bones and very probably died. As it stood, he was in pain. A _lot _of pain.

"Damn, boss," Tayuya said, leaping down to his side, "You didn't see that coming?"

"Why me?" he managed to moan around the swollen lump that was his tongue.

"Hold still," she instructed, holding out both hands. A green glow began to emanate from her fingertips and spread across her palm. Instantly, the pain began to recede, although it wasn't as gentle as Ino's or as precise as Sakura's healing. It was more akin to accelerated healing through intense acupuncture.

"When did you learn how to…?" Shikamaru asked, thoroughly surprised. The Mystical Palm technique was a closely guarded secret among medic-nin.

She looked away, hurt in her eyes. "Kabuto. He … got tired of healing me every day. Said I'd better learn it myself or die from an insufficiently healed transplant."

She didn't volunteer anything else and Shikamaru didn't pry. Once again, he was reminded that Tayuya came from a world that was not his own, and it had shaped her just as much as being intelligent had shaped him.

_Speaking of intelligence,_ the Nara thought wryly, _apparently I can't count on clones to plan anything … I'd better fix this before it gets out of hand._

He brought himself into a sitting position, getting a reproachful look from Tayuya in the process.

"Hold still!" she fussed, pushing him roughly back to the ground, her hands on his shoulders.

"Stop it," Shikamaru complained, too lazy to force her off.

_Maybe I should let her think she's my servant_, he thought. _She's much too troublesome otherwise_.

Tayuya continued to heal his external injuries, neither one noticing as a shadow crept up from behind the pair.

"Are you determined to show just how much you don't need me?" Ino growled, startling the two.

Suddenly self-conscious, Shikamaru swatted Tayuya's hands away.

"Oh, no, don't play coy," she said, waving a finger at him. "You stupid boys always find your way into someone else's arms. I mean, how stupid can you_ be_? You're the smartest guy in the world, right?"

She was shaking with laughter and barely controlled rage. Shikamaru crept warily to his feet, eying her cautiously. It had been a hell of a week for Ino and he didn't want to unbalance her any more than she already appeared to be.

"I mean, come on, _genius_. Analyze me again. Figure me out. That's what you've been trying to do since you were twelve, right?" Ino poked him hard in the sternum, and he stumbled backwards, still unsure of how to react.

"I mean, how could I ever be simple? I can't just be another _girl_. I have to be Ino, princess-of-all-complexity-and-the-most-untouchable-harpy-ever, right Shikamaru? Cause that's how you've always treated me!"

She poked him again, tears welling in her eyes as she yelled. Tayuya stepped back, trying to find an escape route. A kunai suddenly buried itself in the ground between her legs, and she froze. Ino hadn't even looked away from Shikamaru's imperturbable frown, her arm swinging smoothly back to her hip as if nothing had happened.

"I loved you, Shikamaru! When you were a good-for-nothing, lazy prick, you were my best friend. The only person who understood me! When you hid from the world, trying your hardest to be a nobody, I found you! When Asuma died and you came up with some half-crazy plan to take on _two_ Akatsuki, I defended you! I went with you knowing you were leading us to our deaths, but trusting you to get us out!

"I saved your ass when you were being tortured, carried you out of Shimo _on my back, nursed_ you back to health, and this is how you repay me! You're an _idiot_, Shikamaru! An_ idiot_!"

The shadow ninja gaped at her, slack-jawed and speechless. No one had ever accused him of being stupid before. Lazy? Yes. Dead last? Sure. But an idiot? Never!

"Ino," he stammered. "Ino, I—l—"

But she was having none of it. She whirled around, her ponytail swatting his face. "And you're still going to try and defend yourself! I'm _not_ complicated, Shikamaru! You can stop analyzing me now. There's nothing more to figure out!"

He stared, dumbfounded yet again. Hadn't he always analyzed people? The only person he could honestly say he never did that to was Choji, a friend he'd always valued. But hadn't he taken Ino for granted? Was she really becoming his crutch, or was she really that concerned with him and willing to do whatever it took to get him back together? He assumed all her previous actions were consistent with her being a tyrannical overlord, but was that just a stereotype he'd developed for all overbearing woman?

"Shikamaru, I'm not dealing with this anymore. You act like you want me for a few minutes, sometimes a few hours, and I feel like the queen of the world! But then your attention's gone, and it's days or weeks or months before I feel that special again." Her eyes hardened with finality. "If I'm not good enough to hold your attention on my own merit, then fine. Here's an order you can't bullshit your way out of. Look at the best thing that ever happened to you, Shika." Ino pointed at herself, then jerked over her shoulder with her thumb. "Now watch it walk away."

And she stalked off, leaving a hollow pit in his stomach and an aching hole somewhere in his chest that he didn't like at all.

Bitterness swelled over him as he watched the blond ponytail sway side to side as it grew distant, ever farther from where he wanted it to be.

His mind launched into recovery mode, analyzing the situation and providing possible recourses, but he could find no salve for the wound in his aching heart.

"You asked for this, didn't you?" he muttered to himself, flopping into a sitting position, his legs splayed out beneath him. "You said you needed some space. Congratulations. You got it." Another belated arrow pierced his heart, and for the first time his view of himself grew much darker. It was almost the shade of the shadow writhing in agony beneath him. "Nice job, _idiot_."

Ino stormed off, not looking over her shoulder for fear her resolve might waver. With each marching step she took away from him, she felt a burden lift from her shoulders, releasing her from the attachment she'd formed as she headed for the markets. She had no idea what stores were open in a crisis like this, but she was sure at least one of them would have a salve for her feelings.

Rounding a corner a little too hastily, she bumped right into a mass of overcoat and dark brown hair. She was a ninja, though, and far too well trained to allow herself to fall to the ground. The unfortunate man, however, did not appear to share her dexterity.

"Hey! What's the big—"

Brown eyes met blue ones, and recognition flashed between them.

"Hey, you're that guy Naruto stopped to talk to," Ino noted, peering closer. "Didn't you have a scar or something?"

The man hurried to his feet and bowed low. "Wy apologies, miss. And no. While I am that very man, my scar was treated by your medical professionals here. It was just a wound from a farm accident, anyway."

"Oh," Ino said guardedly, not willing to trust strange characters so easily. "Well, I—"

"If you'd permit me, a simple traveler, to ask a question, what is going on? I have to leave town soon and the gates are barricaded."

Ino opened her mouth, then closed it again, contemplating. It was common knowledge now that Tsunade was dead, and if he was really just a traveler, what harm could it do to tell him?

"Our Hokage has passed on," she said quietly. "We have declared martial law until we apprehend the culprit. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

He nodded slowly, accepting this. "I'm sorry for your loss. You look like you're taking it pretty hard. I hate to see a sad expression on such a beautiful flower as yourself. Is there anything I can do?"

He let the question hang and her eyes hardened. Ino made up her mind and willed herself not to think of Shikamaru. "Yes, actually," she said, brightening slightly at the compliment. "You can come shopping with me if you have the time."

The man smiled broadly, showing a row of perfect white teeth. "I'd like that," he replied, offering his hand congenially. She took it, and he smiled again at her, making her face flush with heat.

_For a farmer, he really is hot_, she thought.

"I'm Kobayashi Kenta," he told her, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Yamanaka-san."

She puzzled for a brief moment as to how he could know her clan, but then realized that it couldn't be too much a secret. There weren't many blond-haired, blue-eyed ninja after all.

"Just Ino," she replied, taking his hand. "Nice to meet you, Kenta."

…

"Come on, boy! Where's your intelligence now?"

Shikamaru ducked underwater in the river passing through Konoha's training field, swimming as far and fast as he could. Cuts and bruises covered most of his body, and they stung as the cold water washed over them. He ignored the pain just as he ignored the goading of the ANBU captain. He'd already been dumb enough to decide to fight the man after all, looking for a punching bag to take out his frustration on.

Shikamaru thought it odd that he felt he needed a punching bag at all. This was the first occasion that he had and he noted it as such. Damn Ino. She could get right under his skin.

SPLOOSH!

A section of water exploded into steam as Tora sent a fireball into the river. It was well away from him, but Shikamaru knew he couldn't dally. Tora was skilled, but his pride was a flaw Shikamaru could exploit. If only he could had _time_. Another explosion, this one far closer, signaled that he had no such thing.

Shikamaru had been pummeled when he tried to use his regular attacks. Kagemane was too slow to hit him with, and even his Kage Nui couldn't keep up with his movements without pushing Shikamaru to his absolute limits. Not to mention Tora would leapt away every time he had so much as suspected a shadow stretching out of its normal shape. Asuma's trench knives had been left in Shimogakure, so the shadow imitation shuriken was out of the question, and he was far too crafty to trap without significant planning ahead.

_His taijutsu wasn't too shabby either_, Shikamaru thought, wincing at a pain just below his ribs. _The only way I'd touch him with my shadow is if he couldn't see it at all …_

Then his mind alighted on another solution as he swam for his life, trying to avoid the explosions that peppered the water's surface. He formed a dozen hand seals and felt a still-unfamiliar jutsu settle around him. He untied his hair yet again and propelled himself out of the water, making sure to leap far from the riverbank. It was a wise choice, as the section of riverbank nearest his exit was bombarded by small fireballs.

The shadow ninja watched his target closely. After he used a fire technique there was a two second interval before he resumed normal motion. After his earth style attacks, there had been no delay at all.

_Earth must be his primary affinity_, Shikamaru decided_. Unless that was an elaborate feint_. Shikamaru thought that was unlikely, inconsistent with his hard-charging mentality.

"Mesaigakure, huh, boy?" Tora called, leaping over the river in a single bound. "You know there are ways to detect you. Footprints, noise … chakra sensing."

He closed his eyes and folded his hands together. Shikamaru felt a wave of raw energy wash over him; a field of Tora's own chakra. Shikamaru, invisible as he was, had just become an intruder in Tora's web. He'd read about this technique, but had only known Jiraiya capable of performing it.

"Oh, shit," he muttered as Tora launched himself toward him, eyes still closed.

It was all Shikamaru could do to throw up a quick block before a fist smashed into his arms, sending him skidding backward. He felt his focus waver and pushed himself harder, not allowing him to deviate from the plan for a minute. Instead, he pushed_ down _on the jutsu that was keeping him invisible, exposing a tantalizing bit of his forehead.

Tora couldn't see that, eyes closed as they were, and Shikmaru had to block again and again and again.

When Tora finally opened his eyes, Mesaigakure was only covering half of Shikamaru's battered form. Blood dripped from his split lip and one of his eyes was beginning to swell shut. Most of his chakra was gone and he ducked another blow from a grinning Tora.

"You're losing it boy," the man said, keeping Shikamaru's hands busy with a flurry of punches and kicks. "Your future isn't so near at hand."

Tora's hands blurred through seals. Shikamaru anticipated earth and leapt up off the ground, since Tora wouldn't want to leave an opening this close to his assailant. Sure enough, a wall of earth rose on either side of Shikamaru, almost trapping him in a cage. But he pushed off the nearest wall and leapt even higher, pushing himself well into the sky and out of reach. He activated Kageyose in midair, pulling a thin tendril of shadow straight into the air to meet him.

Too tantalizing a target to resist, Tora formed a few more seals and launched a barrage of fireballs straight up to meet him. The Kageyose reached him first and wrapped around its caster's ankle, yanking him roughly down to earth.

Shikamaru landed in a crouch directly behind Tora. The Captain's eyes widened, realizing he'd been baited into the attack, and lunged at Shikamaru, swinging a heavy fist at his head.

The lazy nin smirked, leapt out of reach, and gave the final push downward so Mesaigakure only covered the bottom of his sandals. Tora's punch nicked his chin, leaving a gash where it passed. Shikamaru formed two quick hand seals and … nothing happened.

No longer nervous, Tora laughed. "Was this your final redoubt, boy? You've become almost completely visible, your shadow techniques are far too slow, and your aptitude is negligible compared to my experience. You escaped my last jutsu by luck alone. I believe we can declare this battle in my favor."

Shikamaru's smirk didn't waver, and he kept his hands pressed together, focusing his chakra to do something it had never done before. Maintaining both jutsu's separately, he stood, his trap complete.

"I'm sorry, Tora," he said, assuming a much more casual stance than was required. It would do to look the part. As if this were easy; the sweat on his kneaded brow belied his display. "But the future begins today."

And with his chakra and immense concentration, he pushed the Kagemane the last few inches, where it connected to Tora's shadow.

"Kagemane: successful," he reported, not letting the Mesaigakure up, although it was becoming quite the strain. He wanted to keep everyone in suspense a while longer.

Tora looked as if someone had stolen the last piece of cake on his birthday. Rage and panic were etched into every feature. Shikamaru could feel him seething and battering against his will, but Kagemane held fast.

"How did you? Where is the … This isn't happening!" howled the hunter-nin captain.

"It is," Kakashi said, stepping from his vantage point by the tree line. "If you'd so kindly explain to our proud taicho?"

Shikamaru nodded, scanning the crowd for a pair of ocean blue eyes, but instead met Tayuya's excited brown ones. She was bouncing up and down, yelling obscenities at Tora and also in Neji Hyuga's very annoyed ear. He felt a small smile come to his lips at the sight and turned back to Tora.

"Mesaigakure you're familiar with," Shikamaru began. "It bends light away from an object, wrapping it around so an image of what's behind the object is projected instead. It also conceals chakra to a certain extent. Normal sensory techniques don't work on it. You could find me when I wrapped myself in Mesaigakure, so I baited you into attacking up close, letting it slip further and further down as if I couldn't maintain it."

"But actually, you were pushing it to your feet," Kakahi interjected, smiling broadly behind his mask.

"Right. Once you attacked me with your earth technique, then used your fire techniques too, there was a delay after you recovered from using your secondary nature affinity when you were most vulnerable. I used that to get close and activated Kagemane as normal then wrapped Mesaigakure around my shadow itself so you couldn't see it."

Tora looked shock as the realization hit him. Shikamaru finally released the invisibility, revealing a thin strand of shadow arcing across the low grass to connect the two.

"From here there are dozens of ways I can kill you, including just dropping you straight into the shadow itself. I think we'll declare the battle in my favor."

Tora looked away fuming, but nodded begrudgingly. Shikamaru released him.

He straightened his clothes in a huff, not that they were that dirty. Shikamaru hadn't landed a single punch on the man, but he'd defeated him soundly.

His pride almost as bruised as Shikamaru's body, he turned to the copy ninja. "Kakashi, your brat has proven his point. Their council will be respected from this day forward. Not _requested_, but respected. Uzumaki Naruto has the support of my ANBU hunters."

He turned and disappeared in a flutter of leaves and a body flicker.

The silver haired jonin turned to Shikamaru, still beaming. "You were nice to him." The genius said nothing. Truthfully, he won that duel with a lot of luck and the skin of his teeth, but apparently he'd made it look easy.

"You won that way to make me proud," Kakashi said with tears. "I taught you that technique at this very training field."

Shikamaru smirked at the overly dramatic performance. "You left out a few things, too, but don't focus on me too much. Naruto will get jealous. You're _his _sensei, remember?"

Smiling again behind his mask, Kakashi disappeared also, orange book still in hand. Shikamaru turned to his friends and paused when he noticed they weren't rushing over.

He turned around and felt lips pressed roughly onto his. Pale skin and dirty blond hair filled his vision, and his nose was overtaken with the scent of jasmine. Immediately pulling out of the kiss, he took a cautionary step back from the Suna ambassador.

"Troublesome woman," he muttered as Kiba wolf-whistled from somewhere behind him. "You can't just go around molesting injured people."

Temari batted her eyelashes coyly. "I know, handsome, but just a week ago you were a bundle of rags. I'm glad to see you doing so … well."

Her last words came out a little more than sarcastic as her eyes raked him up and down. "I saw the way you took down that ANBU. What you need is a woman to take care of you tonight, and massage out all these _bruises_."

Her hand settled a fair bit lower than his navel, and for a reason he couldn't explain, a very masculine part of him roared its approval of that idea. He found his eyes drawn to the cleft in her dress that showed off her ample bosom before he looked away.

"I do fine on my own. Why are you here?"

Temari withdrew her hand and glanced at the group of boys pretending not to be watching from the tree line. "I wish I could say I came to ravage you, but unfortunately it's not good news. The Korikage asked Suna to betray you."

Shikamaru looked up sharply, confusion covering his face. "What? That's bold."

"You probably didn't see that coming, did you?" she asked coyly, not realizing how much of a trend that sentence had become for him recently. And it was barely noon!

"Add that to the list," he grumbled. "What did you say?"

"Of course I told him I'll consider it. I've already reported to your Jonin commander. By the way, if you want to get a few facial scars, I'm not opposed to it. That man was …"

"That's my father," he said flatly.

"Sorry," she said, covering a smirk with her hand. "Anyway, not only have they asked Suna to help, they've already gotten Kiri, Kumo, and basically every other outlying nation. They mean business, Shikamaru. They're talking about cutting the Fire country into bite sized pieces and selling them off to the highest bidder."

He sighed heavily, nodding to show he understood. This wasn't unexpected at all. Given everything, he only had one more trump card to play, and it was far too early in the game to use it now. Their only option was to fight.

"Can you give me a timetable?" he said without looking up.

"Best I can figure, they're not going to wait for my return. A week, maybe."

"A week," he repeated, mulling it over in his head. "Figure a few days for troop movement, a day or two for final preparations and battle strategy meetings, and a day of marching to get into Konoha borders. This doesn't look good. There are too many shinobi on deployment to recall that quickly. Choji's gone, and who knows when he'll be back."

Temari shrugged. "You have our support, but we maybe in for our own fight. We're making preparations as we speak." Shikamaru nodded again, taking it all in.

"A week to prepare for war," he muttered again.

Temari pushed herself closer to him once more, making sure her breasts were pressing firmly against his chest. "There's a few things I'd like to try before I go back to something like that," she whispered.

He almost gave in to his curiosity and raging hormones that arrested his reason when her jasmine perfume wafted into his nostrils again. Almost. As it stood, he didn't bat an eye.

"Thank you for your report," he told her, ignoring the proposition. "I'll see you around."

Temari huffed, pulling away from him and shooting Tayuya a quick wink that he didn't notice. The redhead stood fuming next to a still perturbed Neji.

"I'll see you around, stud. And make sure you're alone next time."

Shikamaru waved lazily after her, lost in thought.

"One week," he murmured.

…

Hayato kept his face stern as he stared down from the stone dais, looking over a sea of men and women. Forehead protectors gleamed in the sunlight, and not all of them bore his land's symbol. There were some from Waterfall country and others from the Rock and Rain countries, as well as a special Jonin platoon from Kumogakure.

Ten thousand shinobi stood at attention.

"We will strike fast and strike hard," he said, a special jutsu amplifying his voice for all to hear. "We will push forward and capture everything left behind, leaving them nowhere to escape!"

A cheer rose from the throats of the masses, and he allowed the tiniest semblance of a smile to cross his features. "No longer will the Fire country hold the most fertile land! They will share it or have none at all!"

A cheer.

"No more will the Hokage sit on her throne, lording over our small nations! She will relinquish it or die!"

A roar of approval.

"No more will we live in fear that we will be squashed like insects in someone else's conflict! We shall not starve in silence as our economies collapse and our overused lands give naught but famine! We! Will! Have! _Victory_!"

He thrust his hand into the air as the troops voiced their support, causing a rumble further up the mountain pass. A small avalanche began to roll toward the village, and Hayato brought his attention to bear, arresting the snow with his chakra and dispersing it into free molecules as easily as he would snuff out a candle.

The crowd roared again at the display of power even as the remains of the avalanche descended on them as a fine mist. Hayato waved again and exited the podium, turning to his advisor who had been patiently waiting at the side of the stage.

"You bring news?" he asked gruffly, walking past the man without pausing.

"Of no official channel, sir," the man replied apologetically, rushing to keep up with Hayato's long strides. "But news from Konoha has ceased entirely in the last two days. Rumors say that the Hokage herself has been assassinated."

Hayato paused in mid-stride at this, not daring to believe this were true. If it were, if the last of the Sannin had truly fallen, then their war would go much differently. The countries surrounding the Land of Fire had banded together, pooling troops, equipment, and assets, and now they were ready for war. With no head, the serpent would quickly die.

"Kenta," Hayato breathed, hoping that the reckless boy had not gotten himself killed. He would've tactically trade Kenta's life for the Hokage's any day, but the boy had become like a son to him in the years he had been his sensei.

There was only one clear option at this point. Giving the Hidden Leaf too much time to recuperate would be pure folly. Hayato steeled his voice and his will as he turned to face his advisor.

"Send word to all the generals. We attack at dawn."

* * *

_See ya next time! Paperazzi OuT!_

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	20. Unresolved Conflict

_A/N: These chapters are getting harder and harder to write. :) So much to keep up with from previous chapters! Thanks to all my readers for keeping me inspired to write! I love you guys! And check out the tie in **"Tails of the Inuzuka War."** Linky on my profile page. I posted it last night and the Kiba part will make more sense, though its not absolutely necessary to read it._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 20:**

**Unresolved Conflict **

_**WHUMPH!**_

The explosions' shockwave kicked Kiba back nearly a dozen meters. He hit the ground hard and rolled due to the impact as the air was forced from his lungs.

_Shit!_ he thought, dodging another fire jutsu as he fought to catch his breath. It exploded behind him, and he was launched forward.

"Akamaru!" he wheezed from where he lay on his stomach. "Fetch!"

It was a simple command disguised as a simple command. To the enemy delaying Kiba's intelligence team, it was something you told a household pet when you wanted it to retrieve something. To an Inuzuka Ninken, however, it was one of fourteen signals that meant _KILL HIM RIGHT NOW!_ The dog bounded away from the man instead, rushing into the trees around them.

_Stupid dog!_

Kiba was fighting his way through the western forests of his clan grounds, rushing to flank the major enemy force that had moved in from Amegakure. The Inuzuka clan had rushed forward as a whole without waiting for the jonin council's approval, and it was a good decision. The enemy had been moving _fast_.

That left Kiba fighting a dozen enemies with a four-man team, made up of himself, his uncle Takeo, and his twin sons, Mikio and Mitsuo.

Kiba ducked behind a tree with his uncle, who tapped a short pattern onto Kiba's legs in a silent code. _Flank left on three._

Kiba braced himself and nodded as his uncle ran through a series of hand seals. _One_. Takeo leapt out, firing water jutsus at the fire-user while dodging a hail of kunai from his teammates hidden among the trees.

_Two. _Akamaru poked his head from the bushes on the other side of the clearing they fought in, something shiny held in his mouth. _Is that a-?_ Kiba thought, but he had no time to examine it.

_Three._

Kiba burst from cover in the opposite direction of his uncle, his hands flying through seals, and he leapt from a tree, angling for the fire user who was concentrated fully on his uncle.

"Doton!" he cried, "Doryuheki!"

Kiba slammed his hand onto the ground as Akamaru burst from the trees, unnoticed by the ninja fighting Kiba and Takeo. The metal glint in his mouth had a long string attached to it, but Kiba focused on channeling his chakra into the earth. A tight wall of earth rose up in front and to either side of the fire user, enclosing him within it as he released another blast and a pillar of flame shot out the top like a furnace.

"Aaaaaagghhh!" the man cried, staggering away the only direction he could as his charred flesh smoldered on his face. Backwards.

Akamaru rushed forward, cutting into Kiba's chakra just a bit to use a body flicker that brought him behind the injured man. With a loud growl, he shoved the kunai in his teeth deep into the man's posterior, eliciting another loud howl from him before flickering again and skidding to a halt at Kiba's side.

The Inuzuka grinned, defecting a hail of kunai and making a single hand seal. "Good job, Akamaru," he told the ninken as the exploding tag ignited.

_**WHUMPH!**_

This time, the explosion came with the grisly wet splatters of falling meat as the man blew up into a cloud of red mist and sailing body parts. Kiba grimaced at the carnage, but it had the intended effect. The two remaining shinobi dropped their weapons in surrender. They were only genin. The jonin with all the fire had been their tank, and without him, they stood no chance.

Takeo rushed forward as soon as their kunai hit the ground and slit their throats without a word.

"Uncle!" Kiba protested as the man's own aged Ninken emerged from its hiding spot. "They were surrendering!"

"This is war," he said calmly. "I'm sure you understand why I did that, Kiba. It's not your first one."

Kiba growled quietly, and Akamaru looked dejected. He _knew_ in his head why he'd done it. They didn't have time or room or rations for prisoners on their mission, and there was no turning back to bring them in. But it didn't make Kiba feel any better about witnessing it.

"Yes, Uncle. Remember, though, I am in charge."

Takeo grinned roguishly at him. "Of course, nephew. I won't forget it. Now, let's hurry to assist the twins."

"No need," came a voice from the edge of the clearing. Mikio emerged, covered in blood with a feral gleam in his bright blue eyes.

Mitsuo stepped out from behind him, rolling his own identical eyes. He was completely spotless, and actually looked a bit bored. The twins were spitting images of each other, but they had completely separate dispositions. Mikio was always the wild-child, doing any and everything he felt like doing, and his appearance was noticeably scruffier, with unshorn stubble coating his strong chin and his long, brown hair falling in unruly patches. Mitsuo was the complete opposite; with his hair neat, short, and brushed daily, and his face devoid of any blemish save his fang tattoos.

"You all know Mikio had to go apeshit on the enemy nin, wandering amongst them like a wolf."

The pair of ninken behind them, as identical as the brothers themselves, nipped playfully at each other's heels.

"If you know that, you gotta know that Mitsuo played it like a bitch again, sitting in the tree and pickin' 'em off."

Takeo rolled his eyes and straightened his forehead protector. "Glad to know you're alright, boys. Shall we, Kiba-kun?"

Kiba nodded slowly and they pressed forward, rushing toward their destination. He made another mark on the edge of his hitai-ate. Six now. He'd been counting every enemy nin that had fallen at his hands ever since Hinata had been hurt.

There was nothing more important to him.

* * *

"But it's important to me!" Tayuya whined, following Shikamaru as he trudged up the path toward the special ANBU training field. He had been assigned this spot by the jonin council to privately teach Naruto the Hiraishin technique.

"I don't care how you feel about protecting me. I don't need protection." Shikamaru was getting tired of the girl's incredible mood swings. One second, she'd be the perfect servant, the next she was a whiny foul-mouthed brat. "Not to mention the point of me using this training field is that no one can watch me teach him the technique. If you really want to be useful, go take care of my chores at the compound."

Tayuya opened her mouth to respond, but fell silent, fuming instead. "Okay," she agreed, her tone betraying her frustration. "Fine, Shikamaru-_sama. _I'll walk back to the compound on my own and pass a few ANBU on the way. I'm_ sure_ they won't kidnap me again. You know they're following us, right?"

Shikamaru sighed heavily and turned to look at her. Her stance, the way she stood with her arms crossed aggressively, looking away from him as if he were unimportant, was just provocative enough to get an inkling of annoyance out of him. He looked up the road, where he could just make out the trees of his family's forest at the farthest edge of his vision. He looked at her again. If he took her back, it _was_ a long way to walk. However, he could clearly see what she was doing; appealing to his laziness to get what she wanted.

It worked.

"Fine," he grumbled. "Just no peeking. But tomorrow, you _stay_. No ifs, ands, or buts."

She nodded eagerly, smiling now from ear to ear as if she'd never been upset in the first place. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and kept walking.

An hour later, his mood hadn't improved as he watched Naruto struggle with the principles of the Hiraishin no jutsu. He and Kakashi had shown up minutes after Shikamaru himself, with the jonin there to help explain the concepts to Naruto, as he'd always had a knack for getting through to him.

"But, really, I don't get it!" Naruto cried, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "This is worse than trying to figure out the Rasen-Shuriken!"

Kakashi sighed heavily, looking up from his novel. He gave Shikamaru a look that clearly said, _I'll handle this one_.

"Naruto, remember when we did that exercise? And I told you to open your mind to new solutions?"

"Yeah. But you were the one who figured out how to do it by making an extra clone."

Kakashi sighed and carefully put his book down on the rock behind him, making sure the page was saved. "Naruto, you were the one who gave _me _the inspiration to figure it out. That is why we need you to lead us as Hokage. Minato wouldn't have complained so much."

"But I'm _not_ my dad!" he protested. "Dad was a genius! He knew, like, forty million techniques or something!"

Kakashi laughed at this, a mirthful chuckle that Shikamaru didn't think he'd ever heard before.

"No, Naruto. Minato didn't know a million techniques. I know just over a thousand, and Minato didn't have a fraction of my arsenal. He was very good at about a dozen techniques, all of his making, and he was a greater ninja than I could ever hope to be. The best of his are the Rasengan and the Hiraishin. You already know half of the equation."

Naruto fell quiet a moment, thinking about this. For a moment, at least. "But I don't need another high speed movement technique. I dodged the Raikage's punch just like Dad!"

Kakashi smacked his head in exasperation, but Shikamaru spoke up. "That's true, Naruto, you are fast. But Minato's technique let him be everywhere at once without blazing a giant trail of chakra wherever he went. He could sneak in under the cover of darkness and plant a tag, then leave and wait for the perfect moment to return and execute his mission without a sound."

"He could always be at the side of people he needed to protect," Kakashi added in a quiet voice. "Yourself included."

"And," Shikamaru murmured, thinking about the underground tag under his hill still unexplored. "Hiriashin allows you to transport yourself through solid objects. Underground, into bases, even if there's no entrance or exit to just charge into. That's invaluable."

"You're forgetting the best part," Kakashi said, holding a finger up. "It's terrifying."

Naruto fell silent, staring at the ground where Minato's kunai was buried to its hilt. He had been silent since they mentioned protecting loved ones, and they both knew he was thinking about Hinata. He'd been to visit her just before the Inuzuka's had moved out the previous night.

"Alright," he mumbled. "But you're going to have to simplify this concept, 'cause I don't understand all this talk about space time continuums. What's a continuum anyway?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes before an inspiration struck him. "Think of it like a circle, Naruto," he said, picking up a stick and drawing a large circle in the dirt. He had Kakashi and Naruto's rapt attention now, and even Tayuya was on the edge of her seat.

"Life is a big circle, right? And we walk along the outside. But sometimes, we want to get to the other side really quickly. There's two ways to do that. We can run faster," he drew a line along the outer edge of the circle from one side to the other. "But that takes more time."

Nudging opposite sides of the circle with his foot, he rubbed them out so there was a break. "The other way is to bend it inward, bring it toward you as you bring _yourself_ toward _it._"

Naruto knelt down, reaching to one broken end of the circle and traced his finger along it, turning it so it detoured to the circle's center. He repeated the motion on the other side, dragging it inward until the two lines met.

"Exactly," Kakashi said, beaming at his pupil.

Naruto stood up and nodded, a determined expression in his eyes. "Teach me," he said. "And I'll put a tag on every single person in the village."

Shikamaru shuddered involuntarily, surprised by the force of Naruto's words.

"Naruto, that's hardly necessary—" Kakashi began, holding up his hands, but Naruto swung toward him.

"It _is_ necessary," he said, the steel in his eyes mirroring the steel in his voice. "Because I'm going to be Hokage. My job is to protect everyone. Shikamaru already said that Dad could be everywhere at once. Well, I'm going to actually _be_ everywhere."

Shikamaru nodded. "That's a great sentiment, Naruto, but it's impractical. We're about to fight a war, and tagging all of our soldiers will basically give the enemy your jutsu as soon as one of them dies. Someone will eventually figure it out."

Naruto looked troubled, with the idea of his people dying conflicting with the idea of keeping the jutsu a secret.

"Forget the jutsu," he said, surprising the shadow nin. "I don't care if they have it! Didn't you say that regular ninja couldn't use it 'cause it uses too much chakra?"

Shikamaru nodded, seeing where he was going with this.

"And didn't it take twenty years and the smartest person in the history of the fire country to figure it out?"

Shikamaru sighed and nodded again. "But that's because no one else had the formula—"

"I'm not worried about the jutsu. I'm worried about people's lives!"

Kakashi beamed at him, and Shikamaru held up his hands in surrender. "I get it," he said. "I give up. Arguing with you is too troublesome, anyway."

Naruto grinned at the shadow user and stepped away from the circle. "Alright, Shikamaru, what's next? I wanna have this done before Baa-chan's funeral."

Shikamaru sighed heavily even in the face of his exuberance. Tsunade's funeral was two days away, and perhaps afterwards, Naruto would be introduced as Hokage if he was permitted by the jonin council. But the likelihood that would occur so soon was unlikely. He wasn't one to take no for an answer, though, so Shikamaru just nodded.

"Alright. Next, we're going to examine the roots of the technique…"

* * *

Kenta slipped away from the training field, contemplating what he'd just witnessed. The Hiraishin no Jutsu? It couldn't be! That was only a legend, made up to scare little children! But there they were, explaining away. And it seemed deceptively simple! A circle? Bending the points toward you? That was regular fare for time-space jutsu. It _had_ to be more complicated than that. It _had _to.

He slipped past the ANBU guards without so much as the rustle of a leaf, then used a Doton jutsu to pass through the earth beneath them and sustaining it until he emerged behind a garbage bin in the nearest alley.

The spy slipped out into the throng of pedestrians, heading for his next destination. Within minutes, his target was in sight.

"Hi!" Ino yelled, waving and smiling happily as he came into view. "Glad you could make it!" she said, grabbing his arm.

"Er—" Kenta felt himself being dragged along with surprising force, "Where exactly are we—"

"We're going shopping," Ino informed him, not even bothering to listen to the rest of his question. "Normally, I wouldn't take anyone on a mission this important, but…"

He peered at her curiously as her head had fallen dejectedly, though her pace hadn't let up in the slightest. "I just want company," she said, snapping back to normality as if nothing had happened. "So we've declared war and all, and my clan is sending me to get weapons from some of the better merchants around. I needed someone to carry them."

"That would be me, I take it," Kenta muttered, finally pulling himself free of her grasp.

Ino turned just enough to press a hundred watt smile into the forefront of his suddenly hazy brain. "You're pretty quick for a farmer," she teased.

He rolled his eyes and continued to follow her brutal pace up the street. _You have no idea_.

Ino suddenly stopped, staring into a small shop that seemed to produce several variations of kunai. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully before grabbing his wrist and dragging him inside. "Come on. Dad likes his weird kunai. I've got to get him some."

She burst into the dingy shop, startling an elderly man who dropped a knife. The kunai dropped point first into the ground between his toes, and he smiled weakly.

"Nearly lost a bunion, little miss," he joked, bending down to retrieve it. "You're certainly a dramatic enterer."

Kenta's eyebrow shot up as Ino apologized profusely. _Enterer? _Ino traded an amused glance with him, and he smiled slightly, sharing the joke.

Ino shuffled over to the counter, noticeably more quiet now, and began negotiating with the shop owner while Kenta peered at the weapons organized neatly on the walls. He picked up a strange, two-pronged kunai that looked like a newer model of the one Nara Shikamaru had been brooding over the last few days.

"Is this…" he murmured, twirling it expertly in his fingers.

"Your friend has good taste," the other shop owner said. A portly old lady whose weather-beaten face matched the roughness of her callused hands, she waddled over as Kenta realized that Ino was staring suspiciously at him once again.

He flashed an unassuming smile at the owner, pretending not to notice Ino. "I don't know anything about these things," he lied, giving her his most charmingly innocent grin. "I'd probably cut my fingers off if it was any sharper."

"That's a combat ready blade," Ino shot back, still staring suspiciously. "You sure you're just a farmer?"

Kenta barked out a short laugh, forcing his heart to stop pounding in his throat. "I only wish I was more. Sometimes when the harvest is small, we don't have enough money to buy proper equipment for the next planting season. We often use discarded kunai as trowels."

He smiled reassuringly at her, though inside he was startled at how easily the lie had rolled off his tongue. A part of him cringed at having to abuse this girl's trust. She hadn't yet done anything yet that deserved the fate that would soon be hers.

The Shimo nin placed the kunai carefully back down on the table and backed away from it, while Ino stepped forward and poked him hard in his solar plexus.

"I don't like being lied to," she said, glaring at him. Something in her hardened gaze, though, was utterly gentle, exposed, and vulnerable. Kenta found himself enraptured by the dichotomy despite himself. "And I've had enough of being used by one person already, so don't follow in his footsteps. Got it?"

He nodded lamely. She turned around, satisfied, and went to complete her order. Kenta blew out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and stepped outside, mentally berating himself for his lapse of self control.

_But __**damn**__, if she isn't gorgeous! How come I couldn't go kidnapping the ugly duckling of their group?_

No sooner had he thought this than the door tinkled softly behind him and Ino shoved her arm into his, looping their elbows together and dragging him mercilessly forward again.

"Come on, you, I haven't even gotten to the stuff you're gonna be carrying for me yet."

Kenta complied, hurrying until he was walking stride for stride with her again (which wasn't easy), and examined her again, unable to help himself.

He noticed a small slip of parchment in her hand. It was an order receipt of some sort_. So they aren't quite battle ready yet._

He smiled despite himself at this bit of intelligence. Twenty years ago, an order for kunai would be completed within the hour, delivered and all. Now, peace had seemed to make them soft, and the smiths had to actually mold large orders like Ino's own. It would take time they didn't have.

"Here's the next stop," Ino exclaims happily, coming to a halt in front of a large clothing store.

Kenta groaned.

* * *

"Are you done yet?" the spy called to the girl in the dressing room. They had been "shopping" for four hours now, mostly involving Ino trying on every article of clothing in all of the stores lining Konoha's main boulevard.

Trying on the clothes and buying nothing. It had been amusing for Kenta at first, watching her pick through the racks (she had an intimate knowledge of which clothes were just-in and which had been on the shelves for a while) and trying on what she had _especially_ liked their ever-so-brief trip into the swimwear section, but she hadn't liked anything enough to try it on.

It didn't matter. Kenta had a vivid imagination.

"Alright, I'm finished," Ino said, sounding harried as she emerged from the changing room and finally wearing her original outfit once again. "I think I'll actually buy this," she said, holding a pair of flattering capris and a white halter-top.

Kenta's eyebrow shot up. It was hardly the most impressive thing she had tried on, but neither was it the least expensive. It seemed a bit understated to him, as if she were intentionally trying to keep attention to herself at a minimum. It was hardly traditional dress, but some of the more raunchy outfits the females here wore had certainly grabbed Kenta's attention much sooner than this might.

There were _some_ redeeming qualities in the Fire Country.

"That's nice," he said without a hint of emotion.

Ino frowned deeply, examining her choice again. "Why? What's wrong with it?"

Kenta blinked, realizing that she had taken his lack of interest as meaning she had made a poor choice. _Women,_ he thought tiredly.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, looking upset. "Don't roll your eyes at me! That settles it. I want this."

Smirking slightly, he followed her until they were out in the sunlight once again, now carrying her solitary purchase. The sky had darkened considerably as it was getting near evening.

Ino sighed, looking at a long list of things she had yet to do. "I cant believe I got so side-tracked," she grumbled, not looking at all displeased. "Ah well. I guess I'll have to come back tomorrow. Do you think you can meet me for breakfast?"

She looked at him hopefully, her big blue eyes pleading, and his shoulders slumped over dejectedly as he nodded his acquiescence. "Sure. Why not?"

Ino beamed. "Thanks, Kenta. That way your big farm muscles won't go to waste while…"

Her voice trailed off as her eyes locked onto something behind him, and he saw her smile fade just as quickly. She gulped, and instantly her mood changed, going from a cheery, bubbly ball of excitement to something darker, more apprehensive. He realized quickly that this was just a deeper layer that he'd probably never seen directed at himself, and for a moment he was gripped with a brief bout of jealously.

Ino suddenly looked so uncertain where she had previously been the picture of confidence, both in herself and her surroundings. Now she fidgeted, smoothed her hai,r and bit her lower lip apprehensively in one jerky, uncoordinated motion.

He followed her gaze, his curiosity piqued. _What did she see that caused such a radical shift in her personality?_

He looked around for some ultra-cool guy with flocks of the Fire Country's most beautiful female specimens gazing lustfully upon him from afar like some esteemed celebrity, but saw nothing of the sort. People milled around the street about their daily business without so much as an upward glance at any other passerby.

"Wha—?" he began. He was about to ask what she had seen when an older lady shuffled out of the way to reveal a spiky ponytail bobbing over the heads of a few small children. He knew that hairstyle. Just a few hours ago he'd been watching it from the cover of an elaborate, multilayered henge.

"That guy?" he said aloud, surprising himself.

Ino blinked. "What?"

"Uh—" Kenta stammered. "I thought I saw someone I recognized. Sorry."

She looked back at the ponytail bobbing over the crowd of giggling pre-teens he was entertaining somehow, his outburst already forgotten as she pulled on the tips of her long blond bangs absently.

Kenta sneered openly as he looked toward him just in time to see the children run away, laughing and smiling at something he had done to scare them. He wore a slight smile as he stood and continued directly toward them. It disappeared once he laid eyes on Ino, his gaze becoming frigid and hypercritical in an instant.

Kenta actually shivered as his blank expression became an acute frown.

"Ino," he said in terse acknowledgement, not quite meeting her eyes.

"Shikamaru," Ino replied, clasping her hands behind her back nervously and shifting her weight from foot to foot.

_Oh, you've got to be kidding me_, Kenta thought. _What are they, twelve?_

"I see you're busy," Shikamaru bit out.

A pause. "Huh? Oh, him," Ino blushed. "He's…Kenta, this is Shikamaru."

Something inside him roared in delight at being addressed on equal terms as the Konoha nin, at least in Ino's opinion, but he squelched his emotions. He was a shinobi and he had a job to do.

"Kenta," Shikamaru eyed him warily. "I'd be lying if I said it was nice to meet you."

Kenta blinked. "What?"

"Every time I say something to Ino in your presence, it takes her one point four seconds to respond. Roughly. That's troublesome. _You're_ troublesome."

Ino's jaw dropped in obvious astonishment. This clearly wasn't his normal behavior. Kenta looked him in the eye, looking down just a bit as he was a mite taller than the Konohan. "The pleasure must be all mine then," he said stiffly, holding out a hand that he did not intend to shake with. Pleasantries had to be observed, no matter how much of a jackass the other was being.

Shikamaru obliged him by first staring at the proffered hand, then back at its owner, his own hands still firmly in his pockets.

"No thanks," he said icily. "I've gotten my hands dirty enough today."

Kenta nearly ground his teeth in anger. Who _was_ this little prick anyway? He might have fought him right then and there for honor's sake, except he was deep undercover as a non-combatant and he wasn't even entirely sure he could take him besides. He'd just been spying on him instructing Naruto on how to use a legendary technique. _Uzumaki Naruto_, who'd almost singlehandedly ended the Akatsuki War and had calmly identified himself upon their meeting as the next Hokage.

"Have fun with your newest toy," Shikamaru said to Ino, his voice acidic. Ino's face turned from one of shock to one of hurt instantly.

"TAYUYA!" Shikamaru bellowed. "NOW! LET'S GO!"

He turned and brushed past Ino without another word, stalking off in a much more surly mood than before. A blur of long red hair bolted from a nearby candy shop with an armful of stolen goods amidst the clamor of the shop owner's attempts to retrain her. He failed miserably, and she bounded merrily past the pair of them standing dumbfounded in Shikamaru's wake. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she passed, peering curiously at him with surprise etched in her features, but then she was gone, leaping ahead of Shikamaru, who brushed her excited babbling off with a dismissive wave.

They rounded a corner, and he heard a soft 'hic' from the blond beside him. _Great,_ Kenta thought. _Now she's crying._

But Ino looked up at him, her face dry, though her eyes were much puffier than usual. "I'll see you tomorrow," she mumbled, before heading off in the opposite direction of Shikamaru, even though her apartment was roughly in the same direction he'd gone. Kenta was left standing there stupidly, holding her forgotten clothing.

* * *

_**WHAM!**_

The front door of the Nara home nearly fell off its hinges as Shikamaru as stormed into the house, brushing off the surprised cries of his mother and the exasperated sigh of his father. They watched him stomp down the hallway in the direction of his room.

Tayuya cracked open the door that had been slammed in her face and slipped in, closing it behind her much more gently.

"He's got his panties in a twist again," she explained to the two adults. "I'll try to calm him down."

Shikaku snorted his amusement, and Yoshino smacked him hard on the arm.

"Thank you, Tayuya. I don't think we've ever seen him this moody before…"

"I have," Shikaku said loudly. "And every time it involves a certain blonde—"

A loud _**THUMP**_ originated from Shikamaru's room, not unlike the sound of heavy wooden furniture tipping over.

Shikaku cackled again until Yoshino rose to her feet, giving him a fierce look that promised a slow painful death. He coughed quickly, covering up his amusement, and looked away guiltily.

"My conscience is telling me to apologize, so please let Shikamaru know I'm sorry," he said, his eyes still gleaming mischievously.

Another loud crash came from behind him, and Tayuya smiled ruefully. "I will. I should go before he starts using fire jutsu."

"Please," Yoshino agreed with a strained smile.

Tayuya slipped down the hallway silently and cracked his shoji open a tiny bit.

"AIYEE!" she shrieked, ducking a kunai hurled with devastating accuracy through the slit. "Hey, asshole, don't try to kill me! I didn't do anything to you!"

She heard the slight rustle of fabric as Shikamaru fell on his butt in the middle of the room, and she pushed the sliding door open, giving him a very cross look.

"What's wrong with you?" she said aggressively, hearing the patter of footsteps heading out the front door. Apparently Shikamaru throwing a kunai was the last straw and Yoshino had to be escorted out. Tayuya grimaced, however, as Shikamaru just lay back, putting his arms behind his head.

"Nothing," he mumbled, without opening his eyes. "Go away."

The redhead sighed, moving to sit cross-legged beside him. "No," she said, surprised by her own defiance. "You're my master, and you're not okay. It's my job to stay by your side, no matter what."

Her mind wandered back to Kabuto's secret caves and hideouts, the long hours of doting on his every twisted want and need. She would stay by his side when he was upset or angry, and he would lash out at her, beating her mercilessly, an outlet for his rage. Only once had she tried to escape when he was in one of those moods. Her fingers traced a scar above her left breast through the fabric of Shikamaru's jacket. She never tried that again.

"Shikamaru-sama, I can't explain how grateful I am to be your servant. Let me help you forget now, when you are hurting." To her great surprise, the words came easily. It had been much harder to say that when her master had been a silver-haired prick with large, wire-rimmed glasses.

She stood silently and slipped the jacket off her shoulders, her heart beating faster than usual. She took in Shikamaru's customary scowl, much deeper than it usually was, and knew that there was something truly bothering him. It went much deeper than his generally surly attitude, and she knew she'd have to do something much more extreme to get his mind off of it.

Her fingers toyed with the hem of her black tank top, debating the idea for a brief second. No, there was no debate at all. Her body, her mind, everything was his property to do with as he pleased. The tank top slipped over her head and fell to the floor as her waist length hair cascaded down around her shoulders. She pushed some of it over her chest to give herself a semblance of modesty. She bent over as she removed her black shorts, given to her after her ANBU captivity. The Nara symbol was prominently sewn into their side, reminding her once again what she was. A tool. An instrument. Property. Nothing more.

She lowered herself onto his lap, and it wasn't until she felt the fabric of his pants against her bare skin that she realized her heart was pounding at a hundred beats a minute. Shikamaru's eyes snapped open, and he gasped audibly when he saw her straddling his waist.

He shot to his elbows, protesting loudly, but she ignored him and pushed him firmly down with one hand while pulling on the hem of his own shirt with the other. She ran her tongue over his perfect abs, feeling the hard muscled conditioned by years of life-or-death struggle. She felt heat rise in her groin at the thought, a far cry from the reaction she'd had to touching Kabuto.

"Tayuya, stop," he shouted, pushing her back roughly. His hands slipped across her chest, and she moaned slightly, then clamped her hand over her mouth, surprised. She'd _never_ made that sound before.

Shikamaru blinked, and she felt his more visceral reaction beneath her, causing another moan to slip past her hands.

The Nara closed his eyes and took a deep breath, summoning his legendary self control. Tayuya smirked, letting her hands fall down to his stomach and touching him tenderly. "Shh," she cooed, sliding back and forth in a manner that she knew would get his attention.

"Tayuya, I'm only going to say it once more—" he warned, his voice holding a threatening edge.

The girl felt a ton of bricks drop unexpectedly on her heart as the words she'd heard a hundred times came out of the mouth of the person who'd been the kindest to her in all her life. She fought back the fear that accompanied those words_. Shikamaru-sama would never hurt me, _she told herself over and over as she continued to touch him. _He wants me. He needs me._

She squinted her eyes shut and braced for the first chakra-enhanced slap that signaled a beating was coming, but it never came. This didn't reassure her. She was supposed to ask for it.

"You can take it out on me," she mumbled, voice cracking. "Hit me. Beat me, master."

"Tayuya," Shikamaru breathed, looking at her with startled eyes. "I…no. Never. I'm not _him._"

Her heart swelled in her throat and, unable to contain it any longer, she flung her arms around his neck, sobbing hysterically. A dam had burst in her heart and she was powerless to stop the torrent of emotions running through her, powerless to stop her wretched sobs.

Shikamaru held her tentatively, sitting as uncomfortably as he was, unsure of what exactly to do or say. She didn't care at that point as her tears began to soak his shirt. She cried for the first time since she was a child, wishing her parents would come back from the grave and feed her grumbling stomach.

Eventually the cries died to sniffles, and she had room for only one more thought. "Shikamaru-sama…" _sniff. _ "I love you."

And then blackness claimed her.

_How troublesome_, Shikamaru thought while trying to shift Tayuya's weight from his lap. She had fallen asleep, just like that, leaving him with even _more_ to deal with. It hadn't taken long after she'd begun to try and 'make him forget' to figure that this was Kabuto's doing. _What a freak_, he thought acidly, finally shifting Tayuya's leg aside. His body hadn't fought the approach quite as much as his mind had, and the bulge in his pants was evidence of that. Hell, he doubted his body had fought it at _all._

He felt disgusted with himself that another woman could elicit this reaction from him, but that train of thought led inevitably back to Ino City (population one), so he squelched it, instead focusing on _why_ it had nearly worked.

Tayuya's body was slender and supple, smooth skinned and well proportioned. When she wasn't spouting nonsense or blandly following orders (which was almost never), she was actually quite attractive. It had nothing to do with attraction to her as a person, but just her body.

Accepting this answer, Shikamaru focused on moving her other leg, a task that proved difficult as it involved his hand in a great deal of proximity to her rear.

He had almost gotten a firm hold when he heard the front door swing open, bringing a cool night breeze into the house. A wave of goosebumps erupted under Shikamaru's hand and he flinched away. _Oh, shit_, he thought, freezing in place. _My parents are back? Already?_

A soft footstep caused a floorboard to creak slightly, coming toward his room, and he began to panic. _How the hell do I get in these situations anyway? Dad always avoids that creaky floorboard. It must be…_

"Hey, Mom, it's not what it looks like…" he called out, squeezing his eyes shut and willing his privates to return to their normal dimensions. His hand brushed Tayuya's soft rear and those thoughts went out the window, causing the exact opposite reaction.

"If not, I guess _I'll_ just have to punish you then," came a sultry voice from the door. A voice that most definitely did _not_ belong to his mother. _Kami, her voice is like sex personified,_ he thought traitorously. _There couldn't have been a worse person to visit now._

Temari stepped languidly into the room and knelt at his feet, her face resting amusedly in one of her hands. She used the other to poke Tayuya's bare butt several times. "My, my Shika, you really do knock 'em dead, don't you?" she purred, tracing the outline of Tayuya's hips. "And this _is_ a pretty one. Mind if I add her to my collection later? Oh, and she won't try to kill me will she? I kind of had to stab her to save her life in snow-land."

Shikamaru just glared at her, unwilling to meet her eyes and focusing on her neck instead. "Leave her alone," he said, swatting her hand away. "I already told you it isn't what it looks like."

His choice of a spot to focus on proved to be a mistake, however, and Temari, naturally, took it to the extreme.

"You like this?" she asked, pulling the neck of her shirt down to reveal the pale valley between her breasts.

"Dammit," he muttered, looking away with a fierce blush on his face now. "Go away! Why are you even here anyway?"

"That can wait," she said, reaching out and touching Shikamaru's disobedient privates.

"Gaah!" he exclaimed, scrabbling backwards and swatting at her hand. It took all of his focus to keep Tayuya's head from striking the hard wood floor. She slipped off of him, and he hurriedly put his pillow under her head. "Troublesome women," he muttered, now completely unable to hide his arousal. "Get out of here, now. I'm not interested in you."

Temari stood without fixing her shirt, leaving her cleavage well exposed. "I'm no cheap whore, Shika. I thought you knew that. I just had a message to bring to you. A _status report_."

He blinked, not comprehending. "About what?"

She sighed and strode confidently to the upturned desk in the corner before sitting on the edge of it and pulling off her fishnet legging. Shikamaru frowned at her. A moment later, she was trapped in his Shadow Possession.

"Talk," he said tersely. "And fast."

Temari rolled her eyes, about all she could do at this point. "_Fine,_" she said, "but when I'm done, you might want to consider my offer. It may be the last one you get. You brought me to Shimogakure to monitor the enemy's movements from within, right? Well, I did, and they're moving. As far as I could tell, they're attacking this week. That's not all though. They sent a spy here, not long after you and the Yamanaka girl escaped. I learned about him just before I left."

Shikamaru's breath caught, realizing what that meant. "That must be who killed Tsunade," he murmured. He'd long suspected this, but here was proof. "And if they're powerful enough to kill her, they'd have no problem laying low afterwards in a city this size. He's still here."

"Or she," Temari corrected. "I'm not sure who it is or what gender."

"I am," Shikamaru said, glancing at Tayuya on the ground. "She went crazy a while ago, and destroyed the hospital with her doki. That's where Tsunade died, but she told me that a guy _lured _her over there. I'm fairly certain he's the one who killed Tusnade."

"Well, duh," Temari mumbled. "Let me out of this, would you?"

Shikamaru grimaced at the thought, but released the jutsu. "Help me get her clothes back on. She practically raped me earlier."

They lifted Tayuya into his bed and quickly slipped her shorts and tank top back on before Temari fixed him with an amused stare.

"What?" he growled.

"You're slipping, Shika. Or maybe you haven't gotten all your faculties back yet after that torture session they put you through." She poked him playfully on the temple and he swatted at her hand, annoyed. He didn't like being reminded of that experience and definitely didn't like people noticing things he didn't.

"So if you know that the guy is still in town and you have the only person who's seen him on your very short leash, why aren't you scouring the town with your little bloodhound here?"

Shikamaru worked his jaw, trying to come up with a solution, but couldn't. It seemed painfully obvious now that she'd put it that way. Tayuya had given her description to ANBU but she was easily the most trustworthy person for identification of the culprit.

The shadow nin cursed himself for not thinking of it, and Temari surprised him by running a finger along his jaw affectionately.

"Don't beat yourself up about it, Shika," she murmured, stepping closer. "No one's perfect, and you've been through a lot already. We all do what we can."

As tired as he was of being treated like he was inferior to the standards that he'd already set for himself (which is why he'd tried so hard to avoid setting standards in the first place), Temari's words were comforting, and he nodded glumly.

Then she surprised him again by reaching up and pressing her lips to his.

He jerked away, not expecting that of her when he clearly should have, but she held fast and pressed herself tighter against him. He gave in to the pressure and kissed her back, his rational thought momentarily overridden by the feeling of her lithe body pressed against him. Her physique was much tighter and stronger than Tayuya's, and his hands moved to her waist, feeling the coiled muscles slowly relaxing into his embrace. She felt like a crouching lioness in his arms, all deadly sinew and unassuming strength, and he enjoyed the way his mind screamed 'Danger!' as he held her.

Then Ino's disappointed gaze swam through his mind, and he shoved Temari away.

"Dammit!" he hissed, wiping his mouth.

"Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it," Temari said, doing something with her eyes that nearly sucked him back into her trance.

"No, I did," he muttered honestly. "I need to be alone." He made a dozen hands seals as he focused on a point far away from his location, and suddenly he was there. He staggered and fell to one knee, feeling it impact painfully on hard lumber, and he looked around, trying to avoid the way his tenketsu burned after the massive outpouring of chakra. His reserves had been neatly quartered by using the technique, and he blinked away the shock of having that happen so quickly.

He felt the pain billow through his muscles, then ripple through his mind, sending him back to that dank, dark cellar where his blood dripped out so slowly…

He clamped down on his moment of weakness, mentally berating himself for falling back into that trap. Standing shakily, he looked up to see a very surprised looking genin standing beside him in the tower overlooking Konoha's main gates.

"Nara-san," the genin said, saluting with an awed expression. "How did you…"

Shikamaru sighed, not up to explaining. The genin had been present at the last Chuunin exam Shikamaru had proctored. He hadn't done well in leadership skills, though he was a competent sensory ninja.

"Don't worry about it," Shikamaru replied, peering out across the forest. A small, fast moving dot arced toward the gates, and he leapt instantly to intercept it, pushing himself directly into its path as he drew a kunai with one smooth motion.

At the last second, a flare went up from the blip that saved it from a quick beheading.

Shikamaru pulled his strike short as they both came to a halt atop the gate. It was a very surprised looking Kotetsu with the shadow-nin's blade at his throat.

"Kotetsu," Shikamaru acknowledged, sheathing his blade.

"You're not supposed to be on guard duty," the chuunin replied, rubbing his neck. "You've gotten faster, Shikamaru."

The chuunin had worked on several missions before with him, and Shikamaru wasn't inclined to spurn an opinion he respected as much as Kotetsu's.

"Where's Izumo?" he asked, referring to his nearly inseparable best friend and partner.

He scratched his head, frowinng. "About that. There's been an attack at our northern border. It's on a massive scale. I'm talking full invasion."

Shikamaru's blood ran cold as he realized what this meant. They didn't have a week to prepare for war. They didn't have any time _at all_.

And if the troops mobilized now, it would be child's play for the assassin to slip out unnoticed.

He swore, looking away while he tried to think of a solution. There wasn't one.

"Izumo and the rest of our platoon are evacuating the northern towns, but the invasion is moving quickly," Kotetsu continued, fidgeting. "We need to get support out there now, or they're goners."

Shikamaru nodded. "With the Godaime gone, it'll take a while for the jonin council to reach a consensus. I'd say go straight to the requisition desk, but there's no Hokage for an emergency approval. Which means the only solution is…"

"Your father," Kotetsu finished for him, coming to the same conclusion. "Any idea…"

"Yeah," he said, turning away. "I'll go. You stay here and wait."

Rushing through the hands signs once again, he poured his chakra out much more gradually this time. The same feeling of disorientation accompanied the trip, but much less pain. He stood atop the Hokage monument on the carving of the Sandaime's hair, and peered around in the moonlight until he made out two figures kissing passionately.

"Ugh!" he moaned distastefully. "Dad!"

The jonin started, leaping away from his wife embarrassedly and squinted back at Shikamaru. "Son? What the—how did you get up here? Where'd you come from?"

"Never mind that," Shikamaru said, trying to scrub away the image he had just witnessed from his photographic memory and standing purposefully on Namikaze's seal. "Kotetsu is at the front gates. Izumo's platoon is out at the northern border evacuating civilians from of an invasion."

Shikaku blinked. "Another invasion?"

"Another?" It was Shikamaru's turn to be surprised. "What?"

Shikaku nodded. "The Inuzuka's dispatched themselves to the western forests to halt a Kumo-assisted Amegakure invasion. Now you're saying there's one from the north?"

The younger Nara nodded. "I have reason to believe this is Kumo assisting Shimogakure. See a pattern?" Shikamaru liked talking to his father about strategy for exactly this reason. He didn't have to spell anything out to him. Things that seemed obvious to him were obvious to Shikaku as well.

"So we should split our forces to repel them and watch our north western border as well. The final attack will come from Kiri in the south."

Shikamaru nodded, agreeing with the assessment. They had known since Temari returned that Kiri was involved w3ith Ao in the planning stages, and it was a common tactic to attack from the north and draw your enemy's forces to their borders while slipping a superior enemy through the south.

"Except," Shikamaru continued. "That strategy is most effective when you are seeking to remove the head of the opponent's command structure. But our Hokage is already dead."

"What would you do?" Shikaku asked, entertaining the boy. He'd long since learned that his son had a tactical aptitude that far surpassed anyone else's.

"I'd go for the opposite strategy," Shikamaru answered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Attack from the south first and slip a smaller force in the northwest border when manpower is at its lowest and resources are spread too thin. Disrupt supply lanes, intercept communications, and wreak havoc on the infrastructure. All of Konoha would come crashing down."

Shikaku nodded. "I'd do that too. So we have to assume our enemy will and defend both borders. Can we count on Suna?"

Shikamaru nodded. "According to Temari, there's no way Gaara will abandon us, and the village is behind whatever decision he makes. His approval has never been higher."

"That's a no," Shikaku said. "We have to expect treachery to come from somewhere."

His son looked at him quizzically, but saw the logic behind his statement: trust only yourself and any assistance is just an added bonus.

"Dispatch groups twelve through twenty to the north to assist Izumo and Kotetsu," he instructed. "I'll have Kakashi deploy as southern general. You are to stay and finish training Naruto in tactics and the Yondaime's jutsu. I assume you used it to sneak up on your mother and I."

Shikamaru nodded again, gulping slowly as he realized what his father was hinting at. "You're going to be the northern general I take it?"

Shikaku smiled weakly even as Yoshino made a small sound of fright.

"I'll be fine," he reassured them. "I'll recall Chouza, and Inoichi is definitely coming along as well. They'll take care of me."

"Speaking of," Shikamaru cut in, "where has Choji been?"

Shikaku just smiled. "I'm sure he'll tell you when he returns. It'll be hard for him to keep the secret then."

The younger Nara rolled his eyes. "Thanks, dad. That was helpful."

Shikaku kissed Yoshino once more before turning to his son. "I'll be leaving the clan in your hands while I'm gone. Please be smart, son. I can see that you're much better off than you were a week or so ago, but I still don't want you near the front lines yet."

Shikamaru kept quiet, not wanting to admit how close to the edge he was sometimes. The wind blew calmly across the monument and he nodded, unable to meet his father's eyes.

"Take care son," Shikaku murmured, and he was gone in a flurry of leaves.

The shadow nin helped his mother to her feet and she waved him off shakily. "I'm not an invalid, Shikamaru," she scolded him. "I just…I wonder sometimes: what if you don't come back? He's had a desk job for so long now."

Shikamaru silently agreed with her. Had he not endured the torture in Shimogakure, he knew he'd have been a better choice as northern general, but even Temari's point earlier had grated on his confidence and his nerve. He _wasn't_ what he used to be. Not yet, anyway, and because of that his own father was in harm's way.

He stood, embarrassed and feeling humiliated as he peered over the moonlit expanse before him. Yoshino slipped quietly away, leaving him to his thoughts, and he chuckled at the irony.

Now he was alone, standing at the precipice of the Fire country. He reached into his pocket and withdrew an old silver lighter and a cigarette. He hadn't smoked in weeks, and it was with relief that he brought the tube to his lips. He could almost feel Asuma peering proudly over his shoulder as he flicked the lighter. Once, twice, then it struck. Flames leapt from its belly to nip at the edge of the paper, and Shikamaru inhaled deeply, feeling the cool sting of nicotine flowing through his veins again.

He held the lighter open, ignoring the warmth spreading across his fingers at their proximity to the heat and stared hard into the flickering fire.

_They say the Will of Fire protects this village_, Shikamaru thought quietly. _But can that fire stand against this coming storm?_

He held the lighter up into the breeze and, sure enough, it was snuffed out almost instantly.

"We have to," he breathed. The shadow nin stuffed the lighter in his pocket before casting the cigarette away, tossing it lazily off of the monument. It arced downward until it disappeared, swallowed by the darkness of the night.

* * *

_Hope you liked! Dont forget to check out "Tails of the Inuzuka War" after you review! :)_

_Paperazzi 0uT!_

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	21. My Apologies

I'll start by sincerely apologizing for the almost year-long hiatus between updates.

Excuses are the tools of the incompetent, but i do feel you deserve an explanation, so here goes,

I've had a busy year to say the least. I began employment as both a IT coordinator and a teacher for a high school, and this has taken most of my time. Also, i've been writing very little, studying for certifications and such in my field. What little writing time i've had has gone to other fics since, as well as a story i hope to publish. (Fingers crossed!) The time i've had otherwise then had been wholly and unscrupulously defenestrated by my now-fiancee, who maintains that she is far more important than all the collective masses yearning for my tales.

She might be wrong, but PLEASE don't tell her that. ;)

I hope to resume and finish the next 20 chapters of this story as my free time abounds now that the school year is almost out and my workload will decrease by order of magnitude. Expect a true update to replace this within a week, and again, my humblest apologies, especially to my most loyal of readers and reviewers.

To those just now picking up the story, or those view-ninjas who remain unseen and unknown, my apologies are only slightly less humble, and no less sincere.

Paperazzi OuT!


	22. An Opening

**Chapter 21**  
**An Opening**

The tall Jonin peered into the shockingly pink room, opening the door whisper quietly as his daughter slept. Ino had spent the last few nights at the Yamanaka household, rather than her own apartment, and hadn't done much more than traipse around in pajamas, drinking hot cocoa and bingeing on sweets at every opportunity. Now she lay, a tiny speck of chocolate still on her cheek from feasting on the cake that had existed before Inoichi got home.

The pink decoration around Ino's childhood bedroom hadn't been changed in the slightest, and even now, though she was very much grown, Ino lay curled up under the same blanket she'd slept in since she was seven. Her arms curled around a stuffed bunny Inoichi had won for her at a festival long ago, he marveled at how much she'd grown, and how much had stayed the same.

Her lips moved in a silent murmur and Inoichi smirked, slipping closer he cupped his hand behind his ear only to hear something that made the hair on the nape of his neck stand on end.

"Sh…" she muttered, her face contorting into a frown. "Shhh…"

He froze, not wanting to wake her. He'd never hear the end of it if she woke up now. "Shika…"

Inoichi's left eye twitched in annoyance before he let out a heavy sigh. His gaze alighted on her childhood diary, open on the floor, with a pen beside it. Figuring that it had slipped from her hand when she fell asleep, he picked it up, smiling amusedly at the increasingly illegible scrawl that ran off the page.

Then he read the first line.

_ Shikamaru, that asshole! He had the nerve to see me in the market today, after what he did,  
and not apologize! How can you be more humongously big-headed than him? I mean, really!  
Its not like that stupid slut is ugly, but she's not _me_! How can he possibly parade around with  
her like some giant hamster following his every-_

"Inoichi!" came a stern whisper.

Ino stirred and her father froze, looking up to see his wife giving him a most reproachful look. "Are you reading her _diary_?"

"She was writing about the boy!" He argued, putting it down on her desk.

"I don't care if she was writing about a stampeding elephant in my kitchen! Its _private_!"

"Yes, ma'am," he stood, creeping out of the room.

When he got in the hallway, she smacked him.

"What was that for?"

She looked at him as if he were an idiot. "_Ma'am?_! How old do you think I am?"

* * *

Shikamaru stood atop Konoha's main gate, watching as nine platoons of ninja dashed quickly away. He counted each streak, two hundred and forty-three, plus his father, who was standing beside him.

"That's all," he muttered, scanning the entrance again for any hint of someone trying to sneak out. Thirty yards away, Kotetsu was doing the same thing. He flashed a quick hand signal that the shadow-nin acknowledged before he disappeared as well, blurring away almost faster than the eye could follow.

His gaze traced upward only slightly, watching his father, who smiled softly at the first rays of dawn. He smiled briefly at his son though as he waited. "Damn Inoichi," he muttered, trying too hard to stay light hearted. The younger ninja could see right through him. He hadn't been in actual combat in years and he was nervous. He had a family to live for, after all.

"Don't get killed," Shikamaru said gruffly, realizing belatedly that he was only compounding Shikaku's nerves.

"He won't," pronounced a jovial voice from behind them. Large, rough hands clapped them both on the shoulder and the two Nara turned as one. Inoichi was nearly half a head taller than the both of them and they looked up with identical expressions of annoyance.

"You're late," the younger Nara said, just as the elder snorted, "Slacker."

"Aw, come now," Inoichi continued, undeterred. "You know how women are. All fussy. I've got two of 'em to deal with, Shikaku, you've got just the one."

Shikaku glanced at Shikamaru, a hint of his normal mischievous gleam returning to his eyes.

"A good excuse," he began carefully. "Shall we excuse him?"

"Women _are_ troublesome," he agreed, Ino's face swimming convincingly into his mind. "I won't hold it against him."

"Alright then," Shikaku said, finally turning to face his friend. "Chouza is on his way to the north borders now. He's closer than we are, so he'll be waiting when we get there."

"Ahh, the old Ino-Shika-Cho," Inoichi said, leaning back and reminiscing. "Time to hand 'em some ass-whoopin huh?"

Shikaku just nodded. "Here's hoping we're not all geriatrics and don't know it."

His son snorted at this. "Don't take any risks. Let the young people do all the heavy lifting, and remember, Izumo and Kotetsu together are Jonin-level as well."

Inoichi nodded sagely. "You there, boy. You take care of my daughter. You'll probably get asked to counsel for troop movement, so do whatever it takes to keep her close to home, ya hear?"

Shikamaru nodded slightly, not really interested in hearing anything about the girl who'd been causing him so much trouble.

_The less I'm around Ino the better, in my opinion,_ he thought, while keeping his eyes peeled for any potential escapists.

"Well, don't say too much," Ino joked, cuffing the lazy nin lightly on the shoulder. "You know she cares about you just as much as you care about her. Don't let your little argument make you lose sight of what's important."

Shikamaru sighed, hearing the wisdom in his words, but the grudge simmering in his chest fought against acceptance.

"Alright, then," Shikaku said, pulling Shikamaru into a rough embrace. "Take care, son. We'll be-"

"DADDY!"

Shikamaru stiffened as soon as the voice hit his ears and his father looked down at him with a wan smile. "You can't catch a break can you?" he whispered, just quietly enough that Inoichi wouldn't hear.

"I guess not," Shikamaru replied, bracing himself as he turned around.

Surely enough, the sight of Ino was like an anvil being dropped on his chest. She landed in a crouch, her hair flying wildly with her momentum. A knot constricted in Shikamaru's throat and his mouth dropped open, instantly dry. She was barefoot, and wearing only a sheer lavender camisole and loose, comfortable pajama pants. Her hair was untied, unbrushed and tangled. She had clearly rushed straight from bed to see him off.

She glanced at Shikamaru and instantly flushed. He knew instantly that she was embarrassed at seeing her in such a state, but her gaze quickly steeled and she looked back at her father. "I can't believe you'd just leave like that!"

Inoichi glanced nervously at Shikaku before turning to his daughter. "I said goodbye, sweetie."

"Yeah, while I was asleep!"

"Oh, this changes everything," Shikaku murmured. "I guess we revoke your excuse now, don't we, Shika?"

"Don't call me Shika," his son muttered halfheartedly. He still hadn't taken his eyes off of Ino. Then it finally hit him that if Ino had rushed out in her pajamas with her hair unbrushed, Inoichi definitely hadn't been held up by her fawning.

"Oh," Shikamaru finally said. "Yeah. Right."

Shikaku rolled his eyes. "Well, at least you know where your priorities are."

Inoichi sighed, letting his shoulders sag. "Alright, Ino, I'm sorry. I'll be back, you know."

Ino nodded, still glaring at him, hands on her hips. She apparently thought Shikamaru wouldn't be looking at her, because it was with hopeful eyes that she glanced back at him. Upon seeing his unwavering gaze, she smiled briefly to herself and turned back to her father.

"Take this, daddy. Its my lucky charm, but it want you to keep it." She fished in her pocket for a moment and withdrew a small necklace, a frilly pink thing with a small flower on the end.

Shikaku snorted, a wide grin appearing on his scarred face. "Yeah, why don't you wear that?" He prodded Inoichi in the ribs with his finger. "it sure _looks_ lucky."

Inoichi looked as if he'd swallowed a lemon whole, but smiled at his daughter. "I'll keep it, darling, thank you."

He made to put it in his vest pocket, but her pout stopped him cold. "You can't! Cause what if you don't have your vest or you empty your pockets and leave it or you have to take it off?"

Shikamaru found himself smiling slightly at the exchange. It was funny to see Inoichi squirming for once.

"You mean I should…wear it?" he looked pleadingly at Ino, but her mind was made up.

Ino nodded slowly folding her hands under her chin. "Please?"

Inoichi sighed heavily, knowing he couldn't refuse her. "Alright, Ino."

A few seconds later, he wrapped the string around his neck and tied it tight.

Shikaku snorted. Ino beamed and wrapped him in a tight hug. "I love you, daddy. Go kick some ass."

Shikamaru grinned despite himself and Inoichi turned to Shikaku. "Well, we've taken up enough time. Shall we?"

"Ladies first," the grinning Nara replied, gesturing at the necklace.

Inoichi shot him an acid look before casting one last wave at the pair of them and disappearing in a swirl of leaves. Shikaku hesitated only long enough to wrap Shikamaru in a quick hug. "I love you, son."

Shikamaru nearly blushed at the show of affection, which was out of character for his normally reserved father. "Yeah, me too," he muttered quickly, purposely looking away from Ino as he said this. Then the older Nara was gone, leaving only the morning breeze in his wake.

Sunlight was only just beginning to pierce the trees and Shikamaru looked slowly up at Ino.

He was surprised to see her expression steely, none of the tenderness she'd just displayed to her father visible to him. He clicked his tongue, annoyed at himself for expecting something more. Annoyed with himself for _wanting_ something more. Since when was it like him to hold a grudge anyway? Why did he _care_ so much?

"Shikamaru," she said in terse acknowledgement.

"Ino," he replied, wondering why he didn't just leave. Something he couldn't identify kept him rooted to the spot, though. He wanted to work things out with her, but he didn't logically think that it was possible. Ino was irrational, stubborn and willful. Something in him had accepted that it wouldn't be better until she decided so.

Ino remained silent, though, seemingly rooted to the spot by that same mysterious force. Another breeze blew past them and Shikmaru noticed for the first time the goosebumps raised across her pale arms. He stepped closer before his mind could form a rational thought and wrapped his arms around her.

The only sound she made was a sharp intake of breath, but she neither shied away nor resisted the contact.

"You're a jerk," she whispered into his ear. Something in her voice didn't quite convince him that she believed that statement though and he let the insult pass.

"I was so worried about you," she continued, unbidden. "When you just took off, I had no idea if you were okay without me and Tsunades-shishou told me to wait three weeks until you recovered. There's no way you're all better this quickly."

Shikamaru let out a sigh that he didn't know he'd been holding as the guards began to swing the gate closed below them.

"I'm sorry," he said, truly meaning it. He felt guilt crushing him now that she'd told him exactly why she had been upset. It hadn't been about Tayuya at all, although, when he got around to telling her that the Oto-nin had tried to put the moves on him that would probably change.

She had been genuinely concerned about him. He had freaked her out, and while he couldn't deny that she _probably _overreacted, he was the guilty party. Paltry excuses and half-baked stories about where and why weren't necessary, so he stood there, holding her.

After a long minute, her arms wrapped around his middle and she conceded that the fight would be over in what had to be her own, special way. "Its cold."

Shikamaru snorted. "So you're not mad anymore?"

Ino shook her head, rustling the fabric of his shirt against his chest. "I didn't say you're off that easy. You have to take me shopping mister."

"Oh, _kami_."

"Just…" Ino looked up, her eyes once again tender and soft and Shikamaru's mouth went dry instantly. "What did you mean when you said I wasn't your girlfriend? Before all of this started?"

"Dammit, Ino," he complained, stepping back and stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I was joking. If you want to be my girlfriend, I suppose there are more troublesome things in the world."

Ino's grin lit up the rooftops just as the sun rose over Konoha's forests. "Really?"

The lazy genius squirmed as he looked over the forests. He knew he was effectively signing over the remainder of his free time to pleasing her, but something about the way she smiled at that moment made him forget about the oddly shaped clouds that were soaring over the trees.

"Cloud watching is really a summer activity anyway. Yeah," he agreed, turning back to her.

He sighed as she leapt toward him, nearly crushing his ribs in a monstrous hug, but smiled. If it made her happy, then for now, his life would be about her.

Somehow, someway with him, it was always about Ino.

"Shikamaru…" Ino whispered, not moving from where her head was tucked neatly under his chin. "This is really you, right? You're all better?"

He smiled softly, lifting her chin with his finger and kissed her. She relaxed at the pressure of his lips against hers, washing away her doubt.

* * *

Atop a roof, not twenty meters away and barely hidden, Kenta felt that uncomfortable lump rise in his gut at the sight of his…_target. _

_She's only a target, _He reminded himself fervently, ducking down and examining the kunai in his hand. He'd stolen it earlier from the same shop the Yamanaka had taken him to on her shopping excursion, and he knew that now would be the perfect time to complete his mission. Kidnap her, kill the shadow user…

And get _raped_ by the other dozen guards out there, at least one of which was a respected Jonin. _Yeah, Kenta_. _Keep coming up with these dynamite plans…She's just a girl, you know._

But he couldn't convince even himself. If she was just a girl, why was his hand shaking ever so slightly, where before it had been steady, unflinching, as he struck down anyone in his path? Why was his heart beating just a tick faster than its usual, slow, steady pace? And far be it from a ninja not to know his own heartbeat.

He peered up at the couple again, peeking over the tile at their embrace. She looked so angelic, so content in his arms. It couldn't be denied that she was happy there. By sound logic, the only thing that would make him feel this way was jealousy. Jealousy of a man he would kill in a few days time.

"Ha," he chuckled softly to himself. "How ridiculous."

Leaping off the roof, Kenta joined the foot traffic heading into town, blending in seamlessly in his tattered brown overcoat and simple tunic. He needed to _focus_. Attraction to this girl was not an option. She was likely going to be killed anyway. Hayato didn't exactly spell compassion in the snow when someone infiltrated his village.

He needed intel if he was going to get away from this village in one piece, and he knew just where to get it.

* * *

"Excellent, Kimi! Now, all of you practice holding chakra in your belly until tomorrow, and I'll show you a few ways ninjas _use_ that chakra."

Excited murmurs ran through the classroom just before the final bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Umino Iruka's students filed out, now chattering loudly about childish concerns and what S-rank kinjutsu Iruka himself might know.

He smiled slightly at this before ushering the last few students out and collecting the written assignments turned in during the day. Tucking them into a drawer of his worn oak desk. Closing it, he lets his fingers trace the lettering on the edge of the table "NARUTO WUZ HERE" was carved messily into the desk, and Iruka felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him.

He heard the sounds of another civilian tour roaming the halls of the building and sighed. While he appreciated the need for original ways to bring in extra revenue, especially in the economic downturn after the Fourth World War, his better judgment told him that the school would be best served keeping its door closed to non-ninja. The potential for espionage was that much greater.

He gritted his teeth as he stood, heading down to the teacher's lounge for his afternoon bento. The stupid school board, however, might need to recant their decision in light of Tsunade's assassination. There were _clearly_ enemy agents in the village, and who knows how many had already passed through, especially during the big rebuilding push after Pein's invasion.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts, as he pushed the door open, that he walked right into another ninja headed the opposite way.

"Yuuhi-san!" Iruka exclaimed. "_Gomennasai!_ I didn't see you!"

The woman just smiled, stepping back into the lounge. "Thinking too deeply again Iruka?"

He blushed profusely, looking guiltily at her and then blushed some more. "Just wondering when administration is going to get their heads out of their-"

"You heard the civilians too?" Kurenai deduced quickly, a scowl turning her features into something far more menacing than they had been a moment ago.

_No less beautiful though_, Iruka thought to himself. Then, _No! No! That's Sarutobi-san's wife! Er-widow! Can't think that way!_

"Something else the matter, Iruka?"

"No, no," he replied, a little too quickly.

Kurenai smirked. "Come on, Iruka. Why don't we go get some drinks?"

Iruka took an involuntary step back, horror spelled out on every inch of his features. "No, no, no!" I've got lots to do, uh…paperwork! And its so early! Why drinks? I need food, not sake. There's so many clouds out too, I think it might rain-"

"Shutup, they're just drinks, Umino. Don't be such a prude. Don't you think a single mother would like some friendly company every once in a while? Hiruzen is with my mother, so I've got an afternoon off."

Iruka sighed heavily, now officially face-planting after being guilt-tripped by a pro. "if you insist," he conceded.

Kurenai rewarded him with a brilliant smile and he followed her out the door, his bento forgotten. "By the way, have I told you about the board's proposal for the training grounds?"

They arrived a while later at a bar, and Iruka was still talking animatedly. "If we could re-capture just a fifth of the operating revenue with programs like that, we're talking twenty percent of the yearly budget just vanishing! Then we could keep our doors wide open without these constant tuition hikes and half assed "civilian ninja experience" programs."

Kurenai was smiling just as genuinely as she had been when he had started and he felt a surge of gratitude toward the woman. Most people simply tuned him out after a while, but she had kept up, asking questions and prompting him to continue at the points where others became skeptical or disinterested.

When he got to the point of test scores relationship with field performance, she had not only stayed interested, but prompted him to see where her own genin team had ranked in their classes, citing their field performance as 'exceptional.'

"You know, you'd make a fine headmaster, Iruka," she said, lifting up the shots of liquor the bartender had just poured.

"You really think so?" he asked, surprised. "I mean, not that we don't already have a great administration-"

He was interrupted by the gentle chime of the door bells as another patron entered the tavern. A young man dressed in simple farmer's garb, he looked embarrassedly at the bar's three occupants who stared balefully in return. Making a noise somewhere between a cough and an apology, he shuffled over to the furthest corner table and produced a book from the folds of his traveler's cloak.

Iruka raised an eyebrow as the young man ordered and paid for a stiff drink before burying his nose almost literally in the book.

"Anyway-" he continued, "Where were we?"

Kurenai downed her shot at this and slammed it on the bar, letting the tender refill it immediately. She held up one finger. "Come one, Iruka, give me a break. You just spent an hour wailing on almost every policy instituted in the last ten years. I've only worked there a few months and I know it needs some serious turnover. I'm going to bring it up at the next staff meeting."

His face wouldn't have been redder if he'd been caught wearing a kimono. "Yuuhi-san, you're just saying that!"

She shook her head after downing a third shot which to Iruka had the mesmerizing effect of causing her long black tresses to sail whirl about her face like some gorgeous cyclone.

"Asuma was a lucky man," He says sadly, before he realizes it.

Instantly, his hands fly over his mouth and he bows almost to the floor. "Please forgive me, Yuuhi-san! I-"

"Oh, hush, Iruka. You knew him almost as well as I did and you know if he saw you freaking out like this he'd just laugh at you." Kurenai reached down and hauled him back up by his flak vest's collar.

Iruka reddened. "_Gomen_, Yuuhi-san. I just-" then he realized his feet weren't touching the floor and he flailed about. "Hey, put me down! You just had a baby, you shouldn't be using your chakra like that!"

"Don't remind me," Kurenai grumbled. About the only thing they'll let me do is genjutsu, that's how I ended up at the school in the first place. Did you know that?"

"No," Iruka murmured, taking his first shot.

Kurenai passed the cup to the bartender for the fifth time. "Yeah. After my pregnancy, Tsunade-sama wouldn't let me anywhere near the front lines. She said, "Your child is one of the last two Sarutobi in existence. He is not going to lose his mother and become another Uchiha."

Iruka winced at this.

"Sorry," now it was Kurenai's turn to apologize. "I forgot he was your student too. Usually I only have to watch it around Kakashi."

Iruka shrugged. "That was ages ago. If only the Konoha government worked the way our school board did. Simply vote for new leadership. New councils."

Kurenai smacked him lightly on the arm. "Hey! I'm on one of those councils!"

Iruka rubbed the spot tenderly, but grinned and she rolled her eyes. "Who would you vote for?" she asked, curiosity overcoming her wounded pride.

"Naruto," he says instantly, and without hesitation.

Kurenai's eyebrows rocket into her dark locks.

"And Shikamaru," he amended hastily. "That boy could think himself out of a steel cube. I'd be worried about attacking the fire country if I knew those two were in charge. One who'll know what you're going to do before you decide yourself, and the other who'll chase you to the gates of hell and beat you senseless for trying."

A wistful turn of the woman's lips preceeded an emotion Iruka could only imagine hiding behind her ruby eyes. "If only the world were so fair..."

* * *

In the opposite corner of the room, Kenta was sweating. Not necessarily because he was hot in the heavy tunic and long robe, but because it seemed everywhere he went the virtues of Konoha's Jinchuuriki were being extolled to the point that Kenta felt his hope of completing the mission dwindling rapidly.

Although this woman…she was a talented ninja, he'd seen her dossier, but she had been on maternity leave? And the once grand Sarutobi clan was down to only two living members? This was valuable intel, and it only made him more determined to succeed. As difficult as it would be to make his escape, he was being handed weapons, slowly and steadily, to use to his advantage. Now if he could only get one of these teachers alone.

The man seemed the weaker, wearing only the Chuunin's badge where he knew the woman was a Jonin. He was more timid, an educator, not a soldier. He would do. Recon finished, Kenta closed the book quickly and slipped it away into his robe.

Paying for his drink, he muttered a quick goodbye to the others in the bar, always careful to stay in character, and left quickly.

* * *

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" the pint-sized redhead exploded, "I thought you'd been kidnapped or captured or _killed_ and I'm sorry about-"

Tayuya froze as her eyes settled on Ino, who walked through the door just behind Shikamaru. Her eyes hardened when she saw Tayuya, but she said nothing, folding her arms across her chest and looking at Shikamaru expectantly.

To his credit, he didn't get flustered and ask some inane question like 'Why are you looking at me like that?' Ino had plenty of exasperating experience with people who couldn't figure things out, and she'd never put Shikamaru into that category.

What he did however, was somehow even _more _ frustrating than the inane questions. His dark eyes flicked between the two women in the uncomfortable silence. He regarded Ino's expression without so much as the twitch of an eyebrow and looked her right in her eyes….

"I'm hungry," he said, just a tad anticlimactically. Striding toward the kitchen he quirked a single eyebrow in what somehow became the most imploring gaze she'd ever had directed at her. "What about you?"

Not knowing how to respond, she simply opened her mouth and closed it, disbelieving. _Had he…did he just…_

He stopped waited patiently for her answer, watching the emotions play out on her face while keeping his own as unreadable as ever. "So now you're a completely different Shikamaru, huh?"

The words were out of her mouth before she realized what her tongue had been doing while her brain was taking a small vacation.

Shikamaru, unruffled, just shrugged. "I have different priorities now, I guess."

Now twice surprised, Ino could almost faint. Shikamaru was acting _concerned_ about something other than the status of his latest mission or his afternoon cloud watching. Then he'd followed it up by being _forgiving_ of her outburst and _expressing_ his thoughts about why.

Tayuya looked crestfallen, and Ino opened her mouth, then closed it. "I think we're both hungry," she answered, surprising herself again. She would have loved to relish in the attention Shikamaru was showing her, however slight, after she'd wanted it for so long, but something in the girl's face dragged Ino out of her surprise.

The shadow nin predictably grumbled something about how troublesome cooking was before continuing on into the kitchen and Ino offered Tayuya a faint smile. The girl, however was staring at her as if horns had suddenly grown from her platinum blonde hair.

"You think you're so goody-two shoes now? He's too good for me and you're too good for me so pity poor little Tayuya," she snarled, surprising Ino with her ferocity.

"Wait, no, I didn't-" Ino's protests fell on deaf ears and Tayuya continued, her eyes darkening with each word.

"I don't want your pity. I don't need it. I don't need him and I _definitely_ don't need you, whore!"

SMACK!

Ino gasped in shock, staring at her hand as if it were an alien creature as a red welt appeared on Tayuya's cheek. She quickly realized, however, that it was no accident. The girl had it coming. It wasn't wholly apparent as things were unfolding a bit too quickly for her brain to process, but Shikamaru had returned and was ushering them both away from each other; Tayuya into his room and Ino onto the living room sofa.

He muttered something she didn't quite catch that had something to do with cursed seals and disappeared into the bedroom with Tayuya, sliding the shoji shut behind him. After a few minutes, Ino fidgeted uncomfortably. The heat of the moment had passed and she began to wonder Shikamaru had started on the food he had somewhat promised.

She strode into the kitchen only to find a pack of noodles half open on the counter and water slowly boiling from an otherwise empty pot.

Sighing in exasperation, she put the noodles on and chopped a few vegetables to make soup. She suspected Yoshino wouldn't mind her finishing her son's cooking, but she dug quickly through the cabinets and the icebox for whatever ingredients she needed. Hoping his mother wouldn't come home and catch her in the act. She was carefully placing things back _exactly_ where they had been found when a knock on the front door sent ice water flooding through her veins.

It was after the second knock that she realized Yoshino would have a key to her own house and she wondered why Shikamaru hadn't answered.

Ino crept into the hallway, pushing a smidgeon of chakra into her ears. She knew it wasn't polite to keep the visitor waiting, but she heard nothing but heavy breathing and the slight hum of chakra release coming from the room. Peering through the crack, she saw Shikamaru with his hand pressed to Tayuya's bare back. Her shirt was wrapped immodestly against her chest, and Ino had to fight down a wave of nausea.

The cursed seal had spread almost to her waist, crisscrossing her body in a sinister black tattoo. The area that had been covered was tinged a deep brown, as if the seal was burning her skin itself and scales were clearly visible across the afflicted area. Shikamaru seemed to be fighting it with everything he had, resisting her transformation into the second stage of the seal.

Ino was about to intrude when the knock grew more insistent and Shikamaru looked up quickly, then gritted his teeth and returned to his work.

Ino tore her eyes away from the sight and pattered over to the door on silent feet. One final knock sounded before she opened it to a welcome sight clad in full Akimichi battle regalia. She was enveloped in a bear hug before she had time to react and lifted into the air. "Ino!" He bellowed, without putting her down. "Where's Shikamaru? I can finally tell you the news!"

Choji's excitement was infectious and a smile broke out on her face despite the circumstances and she hugged her friend back, trying in vain to get her arms around him.

"Choji!"

* * *

_A/N: Okay, back on track after a nearly year long hiatus. I can't believe its been that long... I apologize once again, to those loyal readers who have been pining away for this story to continue and eventually conclude, but we are officially halfway there! I've got the whole thing plotted, i promise, but writing it has been an increasingly difficult venture. It would be easy to blame Kishimoto, since...you know...he's done absolutely NOTHING with team 10 in the last year, but its totally my fault. I've been teaching and doing tech work at my job, preparing to get married (yikes!) and pursuing other hobbies (btw, for those who care i'll be starting a weblog to document my foray into autocross racing! YAY ME! Will post link when the site is up.) _

_This chapter has been a long time coming, but it officially begins Arc III. This and Arc IV (final arc) will be Shogi/chess-themed, given our hero's propensity for it. _

_Thank you again to all of my readers and once again, i hope my ramblings will be worth the wait, but S:S is officially back! _

_R&R! _

_Edit: sorry about the formatting earlier, for those who re-read. i had forgotten FF.N deletes all your page breaks. __

_Paperazzi 0uT!_


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